War against drugs: 398 peddlers, 16 addicts arrested in Pulwama over 6 years

Srinagar, Oct 8: In a sustained crackdown on the drug menace, Jammu and Kashmir Police in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have arrested 398 drug peddlers and 16 drug addicts over the past six years, reflecting both the scale of the problem and the administration’s ongoing efforts to curb the growing narcotics trade in the region.

According to official data shared by the Pulwama Police in response to an RTI query filed by this correspondent, the arrests have been consistent since 2020, with dozens of cases being registered each year. The figures reveal not only the magnitude of the police’s anti-narcotics drive but also the disturbing involvement of public servants in drug-related crimes.

The data shows that in 2020, 45 drug peddlers were arrested, followed by 84 in 2021, 59 in 2022, 57 in 2023, 82 in 2024, and 71 in 2025, taking the total to 398 over six years.

Similarly, 16 drug addicts were detained under preventive or rehabilitation-oriented measures — 2 each in 2020 and 2021, 4 in 2022, 3 each in 2023 and 2024, and 2 in 2025.

The RTI reply paints a worrying picture of official complicity, with 15 government employees and 6 police personnel booked in drug-related offences during the same period. Among the government employees, 5 were arrested in 2021, 2 in 2022, 1 in 2023, 3 in 2024, and 4 in 2025. No government employee was held in 2020.

The involvement of police personnel was also recorded: 1 Police personnel in 2021, 2 each in 2023 and 2024, and 1 in 2025, while 2020 and 2022 saw no arrests from within the force.

The RTI response further revealed that Pulwama district registered a total of 413 theft cases over the last six years. The breakdown shows 47 cases in 2020, 94 in 2021, 87 in 2022, 70 in 2023, 54 in 2024, and 61 in 2025.

Police officials said the data reflects not just the challenges of law enforcement but also the social and economic pressures that contribute to both substance abuse and property crimes.

A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the force has intensified its campaign under the “War Against Drugs” initiative, with increased surveillance, awareness drives, and coordination with local communities. “Our focus is not only on arresting peddlers but also on rehabilitating addicts and breaking the supply chain that fuels this menace,” the officer said.

Pulwama, like several other districts in Kashmir, has witnessed a worrying rise in drug-related incidents over the past few years, with youth being the most vulnerable group.