Jammu, May 31 (PTI) Touted as the biggest crackdown on drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, the first 50 days of the ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyaan’ have seen the arrest of over 1,000 peddlers, confiscation of 341 kg of narcotics, and attachment and demolition of properties worth more than Rs 200 crore, officials said.
Launched by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on April 11, the initiative has targeted the entire narcotics ecosystem in the Union territory, dismantling trafficking and narco-terror networks in its wake, they said.
Official figures show that from April 11 to May 29, Jammu and Kashmir Police registered 923 FIRs and arrested 1,018 persons over narcotics-related offences.
During the period, police seized 341 kg of narcotics, including 12 kg of heroin worth Rs 120 crore, besides 23,752 units of psychotropic tablets, they said.
Authorities also detained 55 individuals under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act.
As part of the campaign’s financial onslaught on drug networks, police attached 89 immovable properties worth Rs 63.93 crore and demolished 63 properties valued at Rs 19.77 crore, with action against drug-linked assets valued at more than Rs 83 crore in total, officials said.
They described the operation as a large-scale, people-centric campaign that has mounted a twin attack on drug trafficking networks and narco-terrorism by targeting both offenders and the related financial infrastructure.
“It has not only helped in destroying the drug trafficking and peddling ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, but also blocked terror financing in the Union territory,” a senior official said, adding that it was the brainchild of the Lt Governor to launch a multi-pronged assault on narco-terror and the drug menace.
Action was initiated against erring chemists and druggists, with 120 licences facing punitive action, including suspension of 118 licences and cancellation of two.
Authorities also suspended or cancelled 668 driving licences and 13 vehicle registration certificates, while recommending confiscation of 124 passports linked to narco-offences.
Awareness has also been intensified. More than 16.37 lakh awareness programmes were conducted across the Union territory, drawing participation from over one crore people, officials said.
Mental health and counselling services were strengthened through the Tele-Manas initiative, which received 3,572 calls seeking assistance related to mental health and substance abuse.
Highlighting rehabilitation efforts, officials said health department-run de-addiction facilities catered to 58,603 patients during the campaign. Of these, 58,138 availed OPD services, 465 received inpatient treatment and 192 recovered and were discharged.
Social welfare department-run rehabilitation centres provided treatment support to 634 patients and counselling to 1,055 individuals, while 29 patients recovered successfully. Police-run counselling and rehabilitation programmes registered 451 patients, counselled 786 individuals and recorded the recovery of 138 patients.
Lt Governor has led ‘padyatras’ in 10 districts of the Jammu region and seven districts in the Kashmir Valley, drawing participation from three to four lakh people. Jammu and Srinagar witnessed the highest footfall during these events.
Addressing gatherings during the outreach, Sinha said the campaign would continue until every drug smuggler and narco-terrorist in the Union territory is brought to justice.
He said hidden drug supply chains were being unearthed and dismantled, while cartels that had operated for decades were being eradicated. Jammu and Kashmir, he said, would not be a safe haven for those profiting from human suffering.
The Lt Governor said surveillance and institutional monitoring had also been strengthened. Authorities checked 6,436 chemists, installed 6,881 CCTV cameras and inspected 2,127 schools and hospitals to prevent drug circulation near educational institutions and other sensitive locations.
Intelligence-led operations were also intensified, with 386 suspects examined, 3,045 drug peddlers and smugglers identified and 36 PIT-NDPS detentions.
Issuing a stern warning, Sinha said narcotics smuggling was no less than terrorism and those involved would face stringent action under the law.
“Drug abuse is a form of silent terrorism. Those poisoning our youth and society will not be spared,” he said. PTI AB ARB RHL RHL
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