Will approach NCB, Interpol to legally hit masterminds: DGP on JKP’s fight against narco-terrorism

Jammu, Dec 31: Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain has stated that in 2024, JKP, in its determined fight against narco-terrorism, will try to reach and hit its masterminds, sitting in other parts of country; across the border or anywhere in the world with the help of NCB and Interpol.

“In 2023, JKP achieved major gains in its fight against terror. In 2024, we are determined that we will trace the backward linkages of even smaller cases. We will go to Punjab. We will go up to the border (in J&K) and even across the border (to trace linkages). With the help of NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) and Interpol, we will try to hit the masterminds, financiers worldwide and bring them to book,” he said, adding that compared to 2021, JKP had taken its fight against narco-terrorism to a different level in the subsequent years.

Describing narco-terrorism as a big challenge in his annual year-ender press conference, DGP said earlier there was disbelief that it (narco-terrorism) was a problem which had its genesis across the border.

“Its supply is from across the border. Like the refined or processed form in which heroin (Chitta) reaches here, is not possible in J&K itself. Its cent percent supply comes from across. Initially we had doubts about links between terrorist or separatist networks and the narcotics. However, 2022 investigations consistently revealed their coupling,” Swain revealed.

“At some places, their convergence takes place across the border. Despite taking all precautions, these networks left a trail of their footprints which unearthed their coupling, connections inside J&K and other parts of Indian territory as well,” he said. Pointing towards the alarming proportions of narco-terrorism, he said that it had taken the shape of a full-fledged business model.

“This has emerged as a business model, which begins from across the (adjoining) border. The cost of 1 kg heroin, valuing Rs 5 or 10 lakh, while traversing through its trade routes, beginning from border, spirals to Rs 1 Cr when it reaches Delhi. Then in reverse gear, the money accumulated reaches across the border and then it returns to J&K through drones. Sometimes, in reverse gear, a tranche of this money, before sending across the border, gets distributed among associates, supporters or those, who provide with logistics, in the Kashmir valley or at the local level (even in Punjab). This evidence we received during 2022 investigations,” Swain said.

He informed that around 15 narco-terror cases were cracked by JKP in 2023 and registered 31 percent increase in detentions under Public Safety Act (PSA).

Last year, the total number of PSA detentions under Narcotics was 191, in 2023, this number rose to 250 detentions.

He said that the State Investigation Agency (SIA) had played a significant role on this account. “In a particular big case, which had inter-state ramifications, it (SIA) unearthed (in a single case), a network of 19 members from Kashmir, Jammu, Punjab with their controller(s) sitting in Turkey (Turkiye); in Paris and sometimes even in Canada. With their linkages there, the network was being coordinated here,” DGP narrated.

He said that several such cases came to the fore and the last one was detected in Ramban.

“In this case, the mastermind was sitting there not in Pakistan but in Turkey (Turkiye). In Pakistan, there were wholesalers while in India, there were receiving wholesalers and among them was a trail of couriers; mules and sub-dealers. When the house of one of the accused was raided, Rs 5 Cr cash was recovered before he could send the money back through Hawala or physical transactions across the border,” Swain said.

In a similar case, SIA had seized Rs 2.50 Cr along the border.

BOVINE SMUGGLING ALSO LINKED TO NARCO-TERRORISM

DGP said that in 2022, JKP noticed a new trend through hard evidence and intelligence. “It was noticed that bovine smuggling was linked to narcotics smuggling and in certain cases, in shipment of arms and ammunition. Last year, 2167 cases were registered and 2256 persons were arrested. A strategy is being planned to create ‘vehicle criminal indexing.’ We are contemplating that 5370 vehicles identified will be put off the road, once the policy takes a shape,” he said.

JKP SUPERVISING DRUG DE-ADDICTION CENTRES

DGP informed that J&K Police, with help of volunteers, was supervising 10 drug de-addiction centres, reflecting the serious commitment and will of senior police officers against this scourge and also to save the youth. “4443 affected persons were treated last year in these centres,” he said.

RESOLVE TO FURTHER IMPROVE SECURITY SITUATION

Referring to significant improvement in situation in 2023, he had also referred to decline in civilian killings in terror related violence. In 2022, 31 civilians lost their lives while this year, this number was 14. “We are pained even at this loss of civilians or security personnel. We will try to improve upon the decline in the number of civilians and security personnel lost in the year 2024 as every life and every limb is important for us,” he said.

DGP informed that in 2023, 291 terrorist associates and 201 Over Ground Workers (OGWs) were arrested under the PSA in 2023.

Listing another achievement of JKP, Swain mentioned that to identify repeat offenders, record building and surveillance system was bolstered with a niche of technology.