In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, Baramulla Police announced the busting of a heroin smuggling network and the arrest of three individuals believed to be at the center of the operation. 


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According to a police press release, the operation was carried out based on credible intelligence. The raid led to the seizure of 2,695 grams of heroin valued at ₹20 crore in the international market. The operation began on October 21, 2024, when police detained Nazim Din, son of Alim Din Tass, 28, from Zamboor Pattan Uri, at a checkpoint on NHW Khanpora. During the search, officers reportedly found 519 grams of heroin hidden in a polythene bag under his armpit. 


During initial questioning, Nazim admitted his involvement in heroin trafficking, allegedly influenced by an unidentified man from Srinagar, referred to as "Mir Sb." He further disclosed that he and his associate, Waqar Ahmad Khawaja, son of Abdul Rouf Khawaja from Tangdhar, Kupwara, had received a heroin consignment on October 17, 2024, from a woman near Noora Hospital in Srinagar. The pair reportedly used a Maruti Ertiga vehicle (JK09D-5822), owned by Waqar, to transport the contraband from Srinagar to Handwara, where it was distributed to local contacts. 


Acting on this lead, Baramulla Police, assisted by a magistrate, apprehended Waqar near Handwara Bye-Pass crossing along with his vehicle, seizing an additional 475 grams of heroin from the car’s boot. 


The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of a third suspect, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, 50, from Marathgam, Handwara, on October 27, 2024. A search of his residence uncovered four more packets of heroin, totaling 1,701 grams, hidden in his wardrobe. The cumulative heroin seized in this operation amounts to 2,695 grams. 


The vehicle used for transportation has been confiscated, and all three suspects remain under police remand. Authorities are continuing the investigation to identify other members of the heroin trafficking network, including the alleged Srinagar-based mastermind behind local distribution.