Indian army officers involved in drug trade, fake encounters in IOJK: report

Jammu: India army officials deployed in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have been involved in drug smuggling and fake encounters in the valley, reveals a report.

In a recent revelation, a police constable suspected of involvement in a drug ring operating in Jammu was arrested for allegedly selling heroin on the grounds of a GMC Jammu.

According to media reports, Constable Mohammad Mukhtiyar, part of the Armed Police 12th Battalion in Srinagar’s Zewan area, was found carrying a heroin-like substance along with Rs 9,000 in cash, according to the official.

Acting on a tip, police launched a search operation on Tuesday where Mukhtiyar was intercepted near the hospital’s mortuary with his motorcycle, where the suspected heroin and cash were recovered.

A case has been filed against him at the Bakshi Nagar Police Station, and he has been suspended from duty.

The official indicated that Mukhtiyar is believed to be part of a drug syndicate that targets local youth for profit, contributing to overdose cases in the area. SP City North, Brijesh Sharma, is overseeing the investigation, aiming to expose the syndicate’s network and dismantle their operations.

Sources reveal that between 2017 and 2021, multiple cases surfaced involving the arrest of Indian army officers on charges of drug smuggling.

In a similar case on November 7, constable Parwaiz Khan was arrested along with his two wives during a house raid, which led to the seizure of heroin and over Rs 2.5 lakh in cash.