Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 17 : The State Investigation Agency of Jammu and Kashmir has arrested a key narcotic smuggler, wanted in a narco-terror case from Kathua, who had been on the run for the last three years, said an official press release.
The apprehended accused has been identified as Zafraan Khan, son of Shafi Ullah Khan and a resident of Uri, Baramulla district. He was apprehended by a special SIA team from Kathua district. His arrest marks a severe blow to the narco-terror module backed by Pakistani-based terror handlers, the release said.
This module was involved in the smuggling of narcotic substances through the LOC Uri sector and subsequent transportation and sale in both the Kashmir valley and the Jammu region. The proceeds of these narcotic substances were later channelled to sustain the waning terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The arrest pertains to a case registered under various sections of the NDPS Act and UA(P) Act, which pertains to the recovery of one kilogram of Heroin, seven kilograms of Poppy Straw and four kilograms of Poppy seeds. The charge sheet in this case has already been filed against five members of this narco-terror module under the UA(P)A and the NDPS Act so far.
This arrest would help SIA track forward and backward linkages in this case with a view to dismantling the narco terror modules operating in the valley, the release said.
Over the months, SIA Kashmir has intensified its crackdown against Narco-Terror networks across the Kashmir valley. Just last week, another notorious terror handler, Abdul Rashid Bhat, who was absconding for more than two years, was arrested in Pulwama.
The results of these crackdowns highlight the unrelenting efforts from SIA Kashmir in their quest towards dismantling the terror ecosystem.