Five kgs heroin worth over Rs 25 crore seized near LoC in Poonch

Jammu, Jul 18: In one of the biggest narcotics recoveries along the Line of Control (LoC) in recent years, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday seized five kilograms of high-grade heroin smuggled from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch, officials said.

The seizure was made during a meticulously planned anti-drug operation in village Kosalyain, a forward village in Haveli tehsil, close to the LoC, they said.

The heroin, which had been smuggled from across the border, was meant to be transported further into the hinterland through an organised cross-border narcotics network.

The estimated international market value of the recovered heroin is over Rs 25 crore, making it one of the largest drug recoveries in the border district in recent years, officials said.

Security agencies have repeatedly flagged attempts by Pakistan-based smugglers and handlers to push narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir using border routes, often in conjunction with terror networks to generate funds for anti-national activities.

One suspected smuggler was arrested in connection with the recovery, officials said, adding that investigations are underway to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, the cross-border handlers involved, and the local network that was to facilitate its transportation and distribution.

Further arrests and recoveries are likely as the probe progresses, they said. (PTI)