Pakistan gifting drug menace to J&K youth: DGP Singh

Srinagar, Aug 1 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on Tuesday said Pakistan is gifting drug addiction to the youth of the Union Territory just like the neighbouring country did with Punjab at the end of militancy.

“This (drug supply) conspiracy is from Pakistan. In Punjab, drugs were introduced by Pakistan after the end of militancy. Police are eradicating militancy here and Pakistan is sending the same gift to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir as well. The need is to stay alert and defeat this conspiracy,” Singh told reporters here.

The DGP said the police have taken stringent action against the narco-terrorism trade in Jammu and Kashmir and have registered 2,000 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and arrested more than 3,000 persons involved in these cases.

“We have got successes against the narco-terror and weapon trade that is being run from Pakistan. We have intensified our operations. For the first time, such a large number of arrests have been made under the NDPS Act, people involved in this are detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA), and the properties accumulated through narco-terror trade are being targeted,” Singh said.

He said the civil administration and police were making efforts to help rehabilitate the youth who have fallen victim to drug abuse.

“I want to appeal to the children to stay very far from this menace as it is deadly and harmful to society. The ill effects will be felt for a long time,” he added.

Asked about the presence of foreign militants in Kashmir, Singh said they have been neutralised to a large extent.

“Last year, 40 of them were killed and the remaining will also be dealt with. A large number of terrorists killed at the border while infiltrating into Kashmir were foreigners of Pakistani origin,” he said.