Assures action if such case emerged
Says drugs & terror ‘two heads of same snake’
Leads anti-drug padyatra in Kupwara
Vows crackdown to get tougher
Aatif Qayoom
Kupwara, May 13: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday asserted that drug smuggling and terrorism are closely linked in Jammu and Kashmir, with narcotics money being used to fuel terror activities against innocent people. He challenged critics of the Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyan to identify even one innocent person unfairly targeted during the campaign.
Addressing a public gathering during the ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Campaign’ padyatra in Kupwara, the Lieutenant Governor said drugs and terrorism were “two heads of the same snake”—one generating money through narcotics while the other uses those funds to sustain violence and terror networks.
The LG challenged critics of the campaign to identify even one innocent person unfairly targeted, assuring action if such a case emerged. He questioned attempts to shield drug smugglers and said the people of Jammu and Kashmir strongly support stringent action against narcotics networks. “The administration’s crackdown against narco-terror networks would become tougher and more powerful in the coming days,” he warned.
Sinha accused Pakistan of financing terrorism in J&K through cross-border drug smuggling. He said people earlier viewed drugs and terrorism as separate threats, but the administration now considers both part of the same security challenge. Terror groups receive their “oxygen” through narcotics money generated by smuggling networks operating across the border, he said, adding that dismantling drug smuggling networks would weaken terror infrastructure and cut off the financial lifeline feeding violence in the region.
The Lieutenant Governor said the administration’s consistent crackdown over the past 32 days had dealt a devastating blow to the drug smuggling ecosystem. “Properties worth crores had been seized, assets confiscated, and passports of 15 smugglers recommended for cancellation. More than 730 smugglers and peddlers have been arrested so far during the anti-narcotics campaign,” he said.
Referring to Kupwara, Sinha said 28 drug smugglers were already behind bars in Kupwara and Handwara combined. He urged police officers, border guarding forces, and the Anti Narcotics Task Force to intensify operations and ensure that no drug smuggler escapes action.
Calling drug addicts victims trapped in the dark web of narcotics, the LG said the administration would ensure rehabilitation and reintegration into society. He directed senior officials to act swiftly on complaints and information received through the Manas portal and toll-free helpline. “Every young person extending a hand for help must receive support and compassion from society and the administration,” he said.
Referring to his interaction with women from Dardpora village, LG Sinha said they narrated how drug money funded weapons used against their families. He said this was why drug traffickers and terrorists should be seen as inseparable partners in crime.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor unveiled trophies for the Kupwara Forest League and a Volleyball Championship organised under the Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan and felicitated winners of a reel-making competition on drug abuse awareness.