The second phase of war against terrorism and terrorist groups has begun in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Following the ‘zero tolerance policy’ against narco-terror, four government employees were terminated from the service by Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha by invoking Article 311 of the Constitution of India.
Painstaking investigation clearly established that they were acting on behalf of terror outfits and law enforcement and intelligence agencies had collected incriminating material evidence against them. Sources said heroin and brown sugar (lucrative compared to other narcotics), which is not cultivated in Indian territory, is inextricably linked with terrorism in J&K and every gram of it being peddled or consumed in India comes from Pakistan through several networks with the sole aim of destabilising the security situation especially in J&K.
Intelligence sources claimed that it is common knowledge that heroin in J&K is mostly smuggled from across the LoC to finance terrorism via districts sharing LoC with PoJK or border with Pakistan, including Kupwara. Scores of such drug trafficking modules unearthed by police have led to the discovery that such modules have turned out to be organised drug cartels smuggling contraband from Pakistan which is connected directly or indirectly with terrorism.
Here are the details of four terminated government employees who were part of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) module and narco-terror network:
1. Mushtaq Ahmad Pir: Police Constable
According to sources, Mushtaq Ahmad Pir was recruited in Jammu and Kashmir Police in 1995 as a constable in its Armed Police Wing. Government sources said, “After getting acquainted with networks of drug traffickers, he took undue advantage of his police position and leveraged it for hassle-free transportation and sale of drugs. He was least likely to be suspected for being a man in uniform, and therefore went unnoticed at Police Naka points, where he would use his Police Identity Card to avoid detection of any of his wrongdoings especially avoid searches of his vehicle, including of those travelling with him in such vehicles. As such, his criminal activities remained undetected over the period.”
Investigations have revealed that instead of helping the department in fighting the drug menace, which he was mandated to do, he chose to be a kingpin of peddling drugs and thus betrayed his oath and uniform. Mushtaq Ahmad Pir brazenly used his influence as a police official to strengthen the drug syndicate in and around Kupwara-Handwara area.
Sources said he was able to establish contacts with narcotic drug smugglers across the border in Pakistan and was able to run a drug cartel in the North Kashmir belt. It is a well-established fact by now that origin of all contraband like heroin and brown sugar is Pakistan, from where it gets smuggled through LOC and international border into India. Police had been monitoring his activities to nab him along with the recovery of contraband substance. Due to continuous surveillance on his activities, he was eventually caught by an alert team of Handwara Police. During interrogation, he revealed that he has been close associate of Iftikhar Andrabi who was the kingpin of a narco-terror syndicate operating across the border.
2. Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone: Police Constable
Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone was appointed as Constable in Jammu and Kashmir Police in 2002. Sources said after his recruitment, instead of working for maintenance of law, order and peace in the UT of J&K as a policeman, he strayed and slipped into illicit activities aimed at aiding and abetting terrorism in J&K which has been raging since last three decades for breaking the territorial integrity of Union of India by secession of J&K. He, out of his freewill, chose the path of secessionism and became an important and trusted terror associate (OGW-Over Ground Worker) of banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). According to sources, in December 2023, Police Station Tral received an information to the effect that some terrorist associates (including women) active in Police District Awantipora especially in jurisdiction of Tral are in constant touch with terrorist handlers of proscribed terrorist organizations based in Pakistan through different communication mediums and supplying, transporting and facilitating delivery of arms and ammunition for promoting and executing terrorist acts.
It was further learnt that some of the terrorist associates have received illegal arms and ammunition and have been tasked to commit terrorist acts by targeting civilians and security forces to create an atmosphere of terror in Kashmir. During the course of investigation, a woman, Rukaya Farooq of Tral, was arrested. In her confession, she disclosed that during the first week of December 2023, three Pakistan-based terrorists of proscribed terrorist organization JeM, namely Shaheen Bhai, Rezwan Bhai and Qari Bhai, contacted her and conveyed that some arms / ammunition has to be brought from Jammu to Kashmir for carrying out terror activities. The woman conveyed the message to Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone who consented to bring the consignment from Jammu.
3. Baazil Ahmad Mir: Junior Assistant, School Education
Bazil Ahmad Mir was appointed as a Junior Assistant in School Education Department in 2018 and posted at Government Boys High Secondary School, Ring Payeen, Machil, District Kupwara. Investigations have revealed that Bazil Ahmad Mir, after being appointed as a government employee, became a notorious drug peddler in Lolab, Kupwara and adjoining areas of Kupwara district. Taking advantage of his position as a government employee, he brazenly used his influence to create and spread the tentacles of a drug syndicate in and around Lolab, turning into a full-fledged trafficker of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and would mint money, at the cost of the life and career of the local youth.
According to investigators, Bazil Ahmad Mir has been in close touch with the Pakistani terrorist handlers and strengthened their foothold by playing a conduit in delivery, supply and sale of narcotic drugs, including weapons and explosives, with the intention to break & destabilise J&K internally by exploiting and luring its youth (the future of country) into narcotics and terrorism at the behest of these handlers.
Bazil Ahmad Mir was finally caught last year when he was travelling along with his close associate. In view of the activities of Bazil Ahmad Mir, it is evident that he is a highly motivated and committed drug trafficker and his activities are causing irreparable damage to the society especially youth who are being addicted to drugs.
4. Mohd Zaid Shah: Village Level Worker, Rural Development Department
Mohd Zaid Shah was appointed as a Village Level Worker (VLW) in Rural Development Department in 1998. He is a hardcore drug peddler. Besides working as a Village Level Worker (VLW) in the Rural Development Department, he also functioned as a President of All J&K VLWs Association Baramulla.
“Mohd Zaid Shah, under the guise of being a government employee, a President of VLW association and his political affiliation with a national political party, had carved out an image in the general public, whereby he could be least suspected by the police or the security forces for being an arch element of narco-terror syndicate operating in J&K. Taking advantage of the cover and camouflage of his ‘public image’, he leveraged his social standing to spread the drug syndicate in and around Uri in a covert and systematic manner, without being caught in the legal dragnet for a considerable period of time< Sources said.
Sources said Zaid was put under the surveillance which finally led to his arrest in 2022 along with narcotics worth Rs 30 crore. Investigation further revealed that Mohd Zaid Shah had received such a huge consignment of heroin (10 KG) from drug smugglers across LoC in Pakistan-occupied J&K and was aiming to sell the contraband among peddlers in J&K and other parts of India. Sources said the recovery of around 10 kg of heroin from his possession has reduced the negative impact of the epidemic of drug abuse and thwarted the nefarious designs of terrorists operating inside and across LOC which would have otherwise severely jeopardised the ongoing development initiatives undertaken by the government for youth besides ‘whole of the government approach’ in dismantling the terrorist-secessionist ecosystem.
Intelligence sources said that Zaid was able to establish contacts with narcotic drug smugglers across the border in PoJK and was at the forefront of running a drug cartel in the North Kashmir belt. He was in constant touch with individuals of J&K origin namely Abdul Razaq Khatana of Madian Kamalkote, Uri, District Baramulla, and Mohammad Arif Gojer & Mohammad Sharief Gojer both from Jabda Uri, Baramulla District, who in 1990 had ex-filtrated into Pakistan for terrorist training and are currently settled in PoJK. It has also been revealed that the duo based in PoJK are critical to the adversary tasked with smuggling narcotics, weapons and money to this side. Both these individuals have acted as the main supply source of drugs to Mohd Zaid Shah for fuelling and funding the terrorist ecosystem in J&K. The government till date has also dismissed over 50 govt employees with proven links of terror network. The war against terror continues.
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