NCB uncovers 2 Pakistan-linked heroin routes into Jammu and Kashmir

The NCB said four interceptions and a follow-up operation in Punjab exposed two heroin supply routes into Jammu and Kashmir via Samba and Ludhiana in Punjab. The probe is now tracing source, recipients and finances to break the wider cross-border network.According to an NCB spokesperson, one route runs directly from Pakistan through the Uri sector in north Kashmir, while the other operates through Punjab. (Representative image)The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has said its investigations have uncovered two main heroin trafficking routes from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir, after four major interceptions in the Jammu division over the past month led to the seizure of more than 6.90 kg of the drug.According to an NCB spokesperson, one route runs directly from Pakistan through the Uri sector in north Kashmir, while the other operates through Punjab. The agency said the cases have exposed two supply channels feeding heroin into the region.In the latest operation on September 3, NCB intercepted a passenger bus in Samba and recovered 522 grams of heroin from Aqib Bashir, a resident of Kakapora village in Pulwama. The agency said it immediately followed the backward link of the consignment, which led to Punjab's Ludhiana, where another 197 grams of heroin was recovered in a separate follow-up operation.The spokesperson said the linked Samba-Ludhiana operation has so far resulted in the seizure of 719 grams of heroin, and further investigation is underway to identify and nab others linked to the supply, transportation and intended distribution of the consignment. The Punjab trail follows another major NCB Jammu operation in which 5.160 kg of heroin was seized from Jammu city. Investigation in that case showed that the consignment had originated in Pakistan and entered Jammu and Kashmir through the Uri sector. The spokesperson said the agency pursued the trail beyond the point of seizure up to Leh, where the alleged supplier was apprehended.As part of the same drive, the NCB also carried out two separate operations inside drug-affected villages in Jammu and Samba districts, recovering 438 grams and 603 grams of heroin respectively. The spokesperson said the cumulative seizure from the four interceptions, along with the linked recovery in Punjab, stood at 6.920 kg. The spokesperson said the agency's strategy is focused not only on intercepting drugs or apprehending carriers."Every consignment is being pursued backwards towards its source, forwards towards its intended recipients and through its financial trail, with the objective of identifying and dismantling the entire trafficking chain. The Pakistan-Uri trail pursued up to Leh and the latest Samba trail pursued backwards into Ludhiana demonstrate this approach," he said.He added that further investigation is under way to identify the source, intended recipients, financiers and other associates of these networks, and to trace their wider interstate and cross-border links. The NCB also appealed to the public to share information related to narcotic drugs."Any information relating to the sale, storage, transportation or trafficking of narcotic drugs may be shared on the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline - 1933. The identity of the informant will be kept confidential," the spokesperson said.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 5, 2026 13:48 IST