Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said Jammu and Kashmir’s 100-day anti-drug campaign is striking directly at the roots of terror, as law enforcement agencies intensify action against traffickers, peddlers and their financial networks.
Sinha joined the movement against drugs in south Kashmir’s Pulwama and addressed citizens. He urged the people to strike the final blow against drug abuse, so together we dismantle the narco-terror network and save our young generation from addiction.
He said that over the last 39 days, across different districts of Jammu and Kashmir, neighbours had stepped up to support one another. Most importantly, he noted, the long-standing silence that once hung over the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has finally begun to break.
“Today, that silence has turned into a loud, collective outcry against drugs. Our fight is against a vast narco-terror network fueled by fear, greed, and destruction. In Pulwama alone, more than 11,000 local events have been organised in recent days. FIRs have been registered against 48 drug smugglers, and 56 drug traffickers have been arrested. These figures show we are striking directly at the roots of terror,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor said that for many decades, drug smuggling in Jammu and Kashmir was treated as mere local crime, and now people must realise that drug smugglers and terrorists are two sides of the same coin.
“Drug smugglers profit by destroying the future of our youth, and the terror outfits use that money to fuel terrorism and radicalisation in Jammu and Kashmir. Every deal a drug peddler makes not only wrecks a young life but also finances the killing of innocent citizens. When drug smugglers earn money, our youth lose their future, and that money arms terrorists against innocents in Jammu and Kashmir. That is why my resolve is unshakable, and my firm promise is that we will remove drug smugglers and peddlers from Jammu and Kashmir’s soil,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He warned the narco-terror ecosystem that they can no longer hide and that the law enforcement agencies are on their trail.
It is pertinent to mention that since 11 April, about 897 drug smugglers and peddlers have been arrested. Recommendations have been made to cancel the passports of 18 traffickers. Additionally, driving licences of 382 traffickers and peddlers and registrations of 386 vehicles have been cancelled. Forty-nine immovable properties have been seized, and 45 properties demolished.
Across both Jammu and Kashmir divisions, nearly 5,045 drug stores have been inspected; licences of 225 drug stores have been suspended, licences of 27 stores cancelled, and FIRs registered against 6 stores. From 11 April until now, 393,000 programmes have been held throughout Jammu and Kashmir, with millions taking part through awareness and outreach activities. To strengthen ground-level monitoring and rehabilitation, 6,646 village women’s committees and 2,997 youth clubs have been formed across Jammu and Kashmir to block drug trafficking and ensure rehabilitation of those trapped by addiction.