NEW DELHI: Investigating agencies have stepped up efforts as narcotics cases continue to rise in Jammu and Kashmir, with officials saying drug syndicates operating from Pakistan remain the primary suppliers.
These networks exploit vulnerabilities along border areas, with drugs increasingly routed through Punjab and then transported by road into J&K. In 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Police registered around 1,000 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested about 1,400 people, including major suppliers and peddlers.
A notable trend during the crackdown was the growing involvement of women and couples in the drug trade. Police arrested 35 women in Jammu alone and uncovered several all-women networks designed to evade detection. Officials said this strategy mirrors tactics promoted by Pakistan’s ISI, which has encouraged terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba to develop all-women networks of terrorists and overground workers. The same model is now being replicated in narcotics operations, particularly after agencies intensified action against narco-terror.
Using women and couples makes detection more difficult, as couples benefit from familial cover while women draw less suspicion. Investigators cited the Faridabad module as an example, where Dr Shaheed Saeed allegedly played a key role in coordinating with Maulvi Irfan Ahmed and radicalizing members, evading detection due to her profession and gender.
An Intelligence Bureau official said the ISI increasingly views women as effective operatives and recruiters, as youth are more easily influenced by them—a tactic now being exploited in both terror and drug networks.
Officials stressed that alongside dismantling these modules, stopping drug inflow from Pakistan remains crucial. Drone usage has risen sharply, with 791 drone incursions recorded along the western border in 2025—mostly along Punjab and Rajasthan—while only nine were reported in Jammu and Kashmir. (IANS)
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