Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday uncovered an alleged plot by a jilted lover to frame the husband of his former girlfriend in a drug case by sending a courier containing narcotics to his home in Ganderbal district.
The case came to light after police received a tip-off about a drug consignment being delivered to a poultry farmer in Safapora. As the courier was delivered, a police team swooped in and seized the shipment.
The package contained cocaine, charas and diclofenac tablets. The poultry farmer was immediately arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
There is a major crackdown on drugs in Kashmir and those arrested under the NDPS Act are often booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Houses and properties of alleged drug peddlers have also been bulldozed in several cases.
However, as investigators began questioning him, they found that the man, who got married only a few months ago, may not have been involved in the crime.
Saudi Number Raises Suspicion
During the investigation, police found that the poultry farmer had received calls and messages from a Saudi Arabia-based phone number regarding the shipment.
When questioned about the number, the man told police that he had earlier received a call from the same Saudi number warning him not to marry the woman he eventually married a few months ago.
"It was a turning point in our investigations. We questioned the woman who helped us to reach the culprit and how the plot was orchestrated," a police officer told NDTV.
Police said their investigation led them to Tariq Ahmad Sofi of Zainakote in Srinagar, who was arrested in the case. According to officers, Tariq confessed to plotting the entire operation with the help of his friend Areeb in Kanpur.
"Tariq has confessed that it was he who asked his friend Areeb in Kanpur to send a shipment so that the husband of his girlfriend is implicated in a false drug case," said an officer.
Police said Areeb has fled to Saudi Arabia and investigators believe the Saudi phone number used in the case belonged to him.
Shipment Sent Through Kanpur
Investigators believe Tariq first sent the package to Kanpur before asking Areeb to dispatch it to Safapora in Ganderbal district.
"It appears that Tariq may have sent a shipment to Kanpur first then asked his friend Areeb to dispatch the same to Safapora in Ganderbal district. Charas recovered from shipment is clearly local. It's not clear if Areeb knew that the packet contained drugs," said an officer.
Police are investigating whether Areeb was aware that the parcel contained narcotics.
According to police, the poultry farmer was tricked into accepting the parcel after being told it contained poultry feed samples. Around the same time, police received information about a drug consignment being delivered to him.
Officers said the plan appeared to have been designed to ensure the farmer faced serious legal consequences.
"It was not an easy case. The plot was so carefully orchestrated. Initially, we were convinced that poultryman was a drug peddler and may well be the part of a larger interstate drug cartel. The accused managed to dispatch a courier from Kanpur containing narcotics disguised as poultry-feed samples to the poultry farmer. It was sheer luck and some professional investigation that the case took a turn," said an officer.
Woman's Call Records Helped Crack Case
Police sources said the woman remained in contact with Tariq even after her marriage.
Investigators examined her call detail records, which eventually helped them uncover the alleged conspiracy.
"It was based on the call details of the woman that she gave the information about Tariq and the whole plot was unearthed," said an officer.
