Jammu and Kashmir: Srinagar Police have busted a large interstate narcotics syndicate allegedly operating from Srinagar. Eight people have been arrested, while drugs, cash, gold, luxury items and a firearm were seized during raids conducted across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh. Investigators are also examining possible links to anti-national elements.
Eight arrested, two accused still absconding
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar Sandeep Chakravarty said the case involved a well-organised criminal network rather than a routine drug arrest. The investigation began after police received leads during a narcotics probe. As officers tracked the suspects and examined their links, they uncovered what officials described as one of the largest organised drug trafficking networks operating in Srinagar, with connections extending to several states outside Jammu and Kashmir. To dismantle the operation, multiple police teams conducted coordinated raids at several locations in Srinagar as well as in Chandigarh, Ambala in Haryana, and other areas of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. SSP Chakravarty also thanked Punjab Police for their cooperation during the investigation. Police have so far arrested eight accused who were allegedly part of different stages of the narcotics supply chain. The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Waseem Zargar, Haris Hameed Malla, Aqib Saleem Dar, Inam Ahmad Zargar, Sahib Ahmad Ganaie, Ansar Hussain Bhat, Peer Shakoor and Haroon Pandit. Two accused, identified as Faizan Firdous Khanday alias Farzan Pujj and Mohammad Shahvar Aleem of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, remain absconding. The scale of the recoveries has highlighted the extent of the alleged operation. During the raids, police seized:
The syndicate was sourcing banned pharmaceutical drugs and narcotics from outside Jammu and Kashmir before distributing them across the Valley through a structured supply chain, according to the police. Police said efforts are underway to trace and arrest them.
