J&K Police Raze 'Narco Palaces' Used As Heroin Trade Hub In Samba

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday demolished 33 illegal structures used as a hub for peddling drugs in the Samba district, and successfully retrieved Rs 60 crore-worth of encroached industrial land.

The crackdown against narco smuggling, led by a joint team of Samba SSP Anuj Kumar, saw bulldozers razing eight 'narco palaces' at 'Balole Khad' in Bari Brahmana - an identified drug hotspot that had been under police scanner for months.

According to officials, the pre-dawn demolition drive retrieved nearly 50 kanals (around 6.25 acres) of government land belonging to SIDCO.

Police said the illegal structures built on encroached land had become a safe haven for drug peddlers and were being misused for storage, concealment, and supply of heroin.

The key accused involved in the racket have been identified as Mohammad Baru, Dahua Bibi, Manshu, Farman Ali, Farooq Din, Farooq Ali, Haider, and Farman Din. These peddlers are linked to more than 35 FIRs registered in Samba and Jammu districts.

Officials added that several other drug suppliers and criminal elements were also operating from the area, using these structures for narcotics-related activities.

The action comes as part of the sustained crackdown efforts against narcotics networks and their infrastructure under the 100-day Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyaan initiated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Samba Police said they have adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drug peddling.

"Every individual involved in destroying the future of our youth through narcotics trade shall be dealt with strictly under law," said a senior police officer.

The police, in coordination with civil administration, will continue anti-narcotics operations to dismantle the entire drug ecosystem, officials said.

The objective is to ensure no area becomes a hub of heroin supply and to protect youth from the drug menace.