Srinagar, March 24 – Police in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir announced on Tuesday that they had arrested a drug dealer and recovered 771 grams of illegal drugs from his possession.
A police spokesman said that in a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Pulwama Police apprehended a suspected drug dealer during a routine check and recovered a significant quantity of illegal drugs, registering a formal case under the NDPS Act.
"The Pulwama Police apprehended a person during a routine check at Tengpona Road near the Women's Degree College. During the check, a suspect carrying a nylon bag was intercepted by a team from the Pulwama Police Station. Upon searching, a substance resembling charas/ganja, weighing approximately 771 grams, was recovered from his possession along with the nylon bag," the police said.
The accused has been identified as Mohd Arif Malik, son of Reyaz Ahmad Malik, a resident of Malikpora, Pulwama.
Accordingly, a case FIR No. 37/2026 under relevant sections of the NDPS Act has been registered at the Pulwama Police Station, and further investigation is underway. The Pulwama Police reiterated their commitment to curb the menace of drugs and urged the general public to cooperate and share any information related to drug abuse or trafficking.
The J&K Police and security forces have been carrying out anti-terrorist operations in the union territory, and drug smugglers, drug dealers, and those involved in hawala money rackets and other unlawful financial activities are also on the radar of the security forces.
It is believed that funds generated through drug smuggling, drug dealing, and through hawala money rackets are ultimately used to sustain terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Army and the Border Security Force (BSF), which guard the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border, respectively, are deployed to prevent infiltration, exfiltration, drug smuggling, and drone activities initiated from across the border.
Drones are used by terror outfits, with the help of Pakistan's ISI, to drop weapons, ammunition, cash, and drugs into the Indian side to support terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.