NCB Srinagar Busts Major Poppy Straw Smuggling Network; Two Key Accused Arrested

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Srinagar Zone, has uncovered a significant poppy straw smuggling network operating in South Kashmir and arrested two main accused, including a former militant.

Acting on specific intelligence, the NCB launched an operation on 8–9 July 2025 in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district, seizing around 28 kilograms of poppy straw.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Shabir, a resident of Nowshera (PS Srigufwara, Anantnag) and Amin, from Kanelwan (PS Bijbehara, Anantnag).

Following interrogation, the team recovered an additional 11 kilograms of poppy straw on 9 July from Shabir’s residence.

Investigations revealed Shabir’s past association with the banned Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). Officials arrested him in 1996 for terror-related activities and released him in 2004.

Amin’s criminal background also showed prior involvement in NDPS Act cases — one in 2017 in Himachal Pradesh’s Indaura Police Station and another in Anantnag, linked to the seizure of 523 kilograms of poppy straw. Amin is currently out on bail in both cases.

NCB’s probe indicates that the syndicate procured contraband from local poppy cultivators and transported it illegally across states.

The Srinagar NCB office, part of the government’s strategy to combat drug trafficking in Jammu & Kashmir, commits to safeguarding youth and strengthening enforcement coordination.

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