Plus shelling, Pakistan launches narco-war on LoC

Heroin, brown sugar worth Rs 300 Cr seized from PoK truck

Srinagar: Besides shelling the Indian hamlets along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan has also launched a full-fledged narcotics war against India, as Baramulla Police on Friday seized a truck coming from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) side with 66.50 kilograms of heroin and brown sugar worth over Rs 300 Crore in the international market.
The recovery of 66.50 kilograms of heroin and brown sugar at Salamabad trade facilitation centre in the Uri town on the LoC is one of the biggest drug hauls in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Around 66.50 kilograms of narcotics have been recovered at Salamabad," Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain said.
Hussain said the narcotics were hidden in wooden boxes in the truck and were found during checking of the vehicle.
"We are carrying out thorough searches of the vehicles to ensure that no narcotic substance is slipped through," he said.
The officer said most of the narcotic substance seized seems to be high-quality heroin while some quantity of brown sugar forms the rest of the contraband consignment.
"Given that one kilo of heroin goes for anything around Rs 5 crore, the consignment was expected to fetch over Rs 300 crore if it had reached the market," he added.
Police have detained the vehicle's driver for questioning. He is a resident of Chakoti in PoK.
Meanwhile, Pakistani troops today violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Naugam sector for the third consecutive day and in Keran sector but there were no casualties in the unprovoked firing from across the LoC.
An army official said the Indian Army is retaliating to the Pakistani aggression in equal measure.
"Pakistani troops violated ceasefire again in Naugam sector today by unprovoked firing towards our posts," he said.
The official said the Pakistani troops also violated ceasefire in Keran sector of Kupwara.
This is the third ceasefire violation in Naugam sector within 24 hours.
An Army jawan was killed in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Naugam sector on Wednesday.
Pakistan has violated ceasefire in north Kashmir six times in the last nine days.
On July 12, two soldiers - Lance Naik Ranjit Singh and Rifleman Satish Bhagat - were killed when they were targeted by Pakistani troops while manning forward posts in Keran sector of Kupwara district.
Another jawan was injured when Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing in
Kamalkote area of Uri sector in Baramulla.