In a desperate bid to outsmart security agencies, drug trafficker Aqib Bashir shaved off his beard, changed his clothes and hid in secluded spots – but a three-day multi-state manhunt finally caught up with him.
Aqib Bashir, who had escaped from the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau in Jammu, was re-arrested in Jalandhar, Punjab, in a joint operation by the NCB, J&K Police and Punjab Police.
Bashir, who had escaped from the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau in Jammu, was re-arrested in Jalandhar, Punjab, in a joint operation by the NCB, J&K Police and Punjab Police. Despite his altered appearance, sustained intelligence-sharing and coordinated ground action between J&K and Punjab Police helped track him down – just as he was allegedly planning to flee to Delhi or another state. He is considered a key link in a larger narcotics network.
Bashir was arrested on September 3 after a consignment of heroin was recovered from him at Samba New Bus Stand. His re-arrest is part of a month-long NCB crackdown, in which 6.92 kg of heroin was seized in four separate operations and six accused were arrested, with an estimated international market value of Rs 35-48 crore.
