Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Nalin Prabhat on Thursday issued a stern warning to Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti for “pumping narcotics” into India, saying he, along with his associates, will be hunted and hounded, and his evil infrastructure will be decimated.
“A warning to Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti who is ISI’s acolyte and partner in pumping narcotics into India; we will hunt and hound you and your associates, and decimate your evil infrastructure,” the Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) said at a press conference here.
He said while firmly focusing on combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir Police has paid equal attention to the menace of narco-terrorism during the intensive anti-drug campaign — ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyan’ — launched by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on April 11.
“Jammu and Kashmir Police has shown consistent performance in all parameters since 2023. In terms of attachment of property, there has been a 12-fold increase between 2023 and 2026,” he said.
Highlighting achievements, Prabhat said Jammu and Kashmir Police has been ranked third nationally in 2025 with regard to property attachments.
“There have been 240 PIT-NDPS detentions, for which Jammu and Kashmir Police has been ranked number one in the country in 2025,” he added.
On the anti-narcotics drive, the DGP said there has been nearly a seven-fold increase in the number of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases registered by the police.
“As many as 806 persons have been arrested in 724 cases. The significant arrests made in this regard are Gulzar Ahmad alias Lau Gujjar, who was wanted in 28 cases. He has been recently arrested by Jammu Police. Similarly, Avneet Singh, alias Nagi, who was wanted in 17 cases in Jammu province, has also been apprehended recently,” Prabhat said.
The DGP said the police have seized 667 kg of narcotics and 19,000 units of psychotropic substances.
“Preventive action has been taken against 24 habitual drug offenders. As many as 97 properties, worth Rs 41.85 crore linked with narcotics trade have been identified and attached,” he said.
Significant achievements during the campaign include Anantnag Police attaching properties worth 6.17 crore in connection with a case, the largest attachment made in a single case, he added.
In another first, he said, the Jammu and Kashmir Police attached properties beyond the jurisdiction of the Union territory in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and in Chandigarh.
He also said 41 properties worth nearly Rs 15 crore, raised through proceeds of narcotics trade, have been demolished so far following due process.
“Destruction of illicit poppy and cannabis cultivation has been carried out on 117 kanals of land. A total of 2,401 awareness and sensitisation programmes have been conducted across schools, colleges, and other public places in identified hotspots, covering over three lakh participants,” he said.
Focused inspection of pharmaceutical establishments have also been conducted, with 5,238 chemists scrutinised, and action has been initiated against 151 erring establishments, he added.
The DGP said driving licenses of 162 persons involved in narcotics trade have been cancelled or suspended, while 92 registration certificates of vehicles involved in contraband movement have been cancelled or suspended. Ten passports have been recommended for being impounded.
