Shopian, January 01: Police in south Kashmir’s Shopian district said on Tuesday they intensified action against drug trafficking throughout 2025, launching a series of enforcement measures that led to dozens of arrests, large-scale narcotics seizures and the confiscation of properties allegedly linked to illegal trade proceeds.
According to police data, a total of 72 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered under narcotics laws across multiple police stations during the year. The cases resulted in the arrest of 84 individuals accused of trafficking or peddling drugs, with officers describing the campaign as part of a “zero-tolerance policy” aimed at curbing addiction and criminal networks.
Officials said 10 repeat offenders were booked under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT NDPS) Act, which permits detention without trial in certain circumstances. Police said the use of the law was intended to “disrupt the operational circles” of major traffickers who have repeatedly evaded prosecution.
More than 317 kg of narcotics were seized during the crackdown, including charas, cannabis, poppy straw and heroin, police said. Authorities also recovered 24,700 ml of codeine-based cough syrups and nearly 200 tablets of Alprazolam and Anxit, which officers said were being circulated illegally. The overall recovery, police estimate, is worth “several crores of rupees” on the black market.
In what officials described as a financial setback to trafficking networks, four residential properties worth around Rs 1 crore were seized after investigators said they were purchased using proceeds from drug sales. Police also reported the destruction of 716 kg of contraband and 23,700 ml of banned syrup bottles linked to 58 earlier NDPS cases at a designated disposal facility in Lassipora.
Additionally, security teams destroyed wild cannabis cultivated across nearly 100 kanals of state land,saying the effort was part of attempts to prevent local sourcing of raw material used in processing.
Senior officers said community cooperation has become central to enforcement efforts, adding that actionable information provided by residents has helped identify supply routes and repeat offenders.
Police urged parents, schools and civil society groups to be “active stakeholders” in reducing local demand and preventing first-time users from entering the drug chain.
Shopian Police said the campaign will continue into 2026 with a focus on both enforcement and preventive strategies, including surveillance, education programmes and financial scrutiny of suspected networks. “Our objective is to ensure Shopian remains safe, secure and drug-free,” a senior official said.