Early Times Report
Jammu, June 5: Even as the ongoing Nasha Mukti Abhiyan has been intensified across Jammu and Kashmir, intelligence agencies, in coordination with the police and other departments, have identified more than 250 drug hotspots across the Union Territory as part of a major drive to curb the narcotics menace. Sources said the hotspots were identified following sustained surveillance, intelligence gathering, and ground-level inputs collected by various agencies. The exercise was carried out jointly by intelligence agencies, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and other concerned departments to map areas vulnerable to drug trafficking and substance abuse. According to sources, a comprehensive action plan has been prepared to dismantle these hotspots in the coming days. The authorities are expected to launch focused operations against drug peddlers, suppliers, and networks operating from these locations. The identification of the hotspots is being viewed as a significant step in the administration’s efforts to eliminate the drug menace from the Union Territory. Officials believe that targeting these centres will help break the supply chain and prevent the spread of narcotics among the youth. Sources said the campaign against drugs has been intensified in recent weeks, with enforcement agencies conducting raids, arrests, awareness programmes, and preventive measures across various districts. The latest development comes in the backdrop of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha setting a 100-day deadline for authorities to eradicate the drug menace from Jammu and Kashmir. The Lieutenant Governor has directed all departments and enforcement agencies to work in a coordinated manner to achieve tangible results in the fight against narcotics. Officials said the administration is adopting a multi-pronged strategy that includes strict law enforcement, intelligence-based operations, rehabilitation of drug addicts, and public awareness campaigns under the Nasha Mukti Abhiyan. Sources added that regular monitoring of the identified hotspots will be undertaken and accountability mechanisms put in place to ensure that anti-drug measures are implemented effectively on the ground. With the identification of more than 250 drug hotspots, the administration is expected to intensify its crackdown in the coming weeks as part of its mission to make Jammu and Kashmir drug-free. |