9 drug peddlers arrested in Shopian, Anantnag

Shopian, March 29: In a continued effort to combat drug menace, police over the last 36 hours apprehended nine drug peddlers in south Kashmir’s Shopian and Anantnag districts and recovered contraband substances from their possession.

A police official told Greater Kashmir that on Friday afternoon police intercepted a car at a check post in Imamsahib area of Shopian and recovered 50 kgs of poppy straw from it. He said that four persons ferrying the contraband substance were also arrested.

The accused have been identified as Sartaj Thokar son of Abdul Aziz Thokar, Uzair Rashid son of Abdul Rashid Bhat, Mohd Yaseen Das son of Mohd Ramzan Das, all residents of Daspora Waghama, Bijbehara.

The official said that the vehicle was seized and a case under FIR No 13/2024 U/S 8/15 NDPS registered.

The official said that two more peddlers identified as Ubaidullah Ganie and Rashid Naseer, both residents of Shopian, were arrested with 5 grams of heroin. Another official said that on Thursday evening a police party set up a check post at Tulkhan crossing Sangam in Anantnag’s Bijbehara and intercepted a Santro car.

“During the search, around 17 kgs of poppy straw were recovered from the car”, said the official.

He said that the vehicle was confiscated and three persons travelling in it were apprehended. The official identified the accused as: Sajad Ahmad Dass S/o Mohd Sultan Dass, Javid Ahmad Mantoo son of Wali Mohd Mantoo both residents of Waghama Bijbehara and Muzaffar Ahmad Sheikh son of Nazir Ahmad Sheikh of Tulkhan Bijbehara.

According to the official, an FIR under the relevant sections of law was registered at police station Bijbehara.