Jammu: In a major crackdown on narcotics trade across the Jammu region, police on Sunday arrested nine alleged drug peddlers, including a Punjab resident, recovered heroin in multiple districts, and froze a bank account containing ₹9 lakh suspected to be proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
Police said the arrests were made during coordinated anti-narcotics operations carried out in Jammu, Rajouri, Samba, Udhampur and Reasi districts as part of the ongoing drive against drug trafficking networks.
Among those arrested was Arshdeep Singh, a resident of Amritsar, Punjab, who was held in Trikuta Nagar area of Jammu. Police recovered 12.72 grams of heroin and ₹63,500 in cash from his possession.
A forward investigation led to the arrest of another accused, Gourav, a resident of Rajiv Nagar, Narwal. During scrutiny of financial transactions, investigators found that the accused had accumulated nearly ₹9 lakh in a bank account, which was subsequently frozen on suspicion of being linked to drug proceeds.
In separate operations, Arun Mehra and Sourav Sodhi were arrested from Bahu Fort and Talab Khatikan areas with 5.71 grams and 7.23 grams of heroin respectively.
Police also arrested two more peddlers, Auruangzeb and Mohd Amjad, from Rajouri district with over seven grams of heroin, while Rohit Kumar, Nissar Sheikh and Vijay Kumar were arrested from Samba, Udhampur and Reasi districts with varying quantities of heroin.
All accused have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and further investigations are underway to trace forward and backward linkages in the network.
Meanwhile, in another major enforcement action, over 3.7 tonnes of seized narcotic substances were destroyed at a designated disposal facility in Samba district, officials said.
The destruction was carried out by the District Drug Disposal Committee (DDDC), Udhampur, under the supervision of senior police officials, in compliance with statutory provisions and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines.
The destroyed contraband included approximately 3,696 kg of poppy straw, over 71 kg of charas, 18 kg of cannabis, 885 grams of ganja, over 21,965 banned capsules and tablets, and 1.318 kg of heroin seized in different cases.
Officials said the destruction was carried out through scientific incineration on June 20 and 27 at a facility in Vijaypur, Samba.
Police said the coordinated arrests and destruction drive reflect the sustained push under the “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan” aimed at dismantling drug networks, preventing re-circulation of narcotics and strengthening community safety.
