Interstate drug racket busted in J&K's Anantnag, 3 held

Srinagar: An interstate drug racket was busted in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district and three people were arrested, police said on Saturday.

Acting on credible input about a consignment of narcotic drugs being transported from Delhi to Srinagar, police in Anantnag established multiple checkpoints along the route, a police spokesman said.

During checking, a vehicle was intercepted at Doonipora Bijbehra, with three persons onboard, the spokesman said.

They were identified as Monty Singh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, and Ashish Bardawaj and Rahul -- both residents of Chhatarpur, New Delhi.

During the search, police recovered 413 bottles of Codeine Phosphate concealed in the car's door panels, he said.

The three accused have been arrested and shifted to Bijbehara Police Station where they are in custody, the spokesman added.

Further investigation revealed that the consignment was reportedly intended for delivery in Sopore and Srinagar. Acting swiftly, multiple raids were conducted, resulting in the detention of a local smuggler from Sopore for questioning.

Cooperation with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in New Delhi led to a raid at a warehouse in Noida's Sector 135, where a substantial quantity of Codeine was recovered, the spokesman said.

The key individuals behind the racket identified as Sachin Rana and Arun Rana, residents of Faridabad, have been identified, and efforts to apprehend them are ongoing, he said.

This operation has uncovered both the forward and backward linkages of the interstate drug network, with further arrests expected as the investigation continues, the spokesman added.