Six Held, ₹23 Lakh Seized in J&K Anti-Drug Crackdown, Assets Worth ₹73 Lakh Attached

In a coordinated anti-narcotics operation, police in Jammu and Kashmir detained six persons , seized contraband substances, and recovered over ₹23 lakh in cash across Doda and Kathua districts. In a parallel action , properties worth more than ₹73 lakh linked to alleged drug peddlers were attached in Udhampur under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, officials said on Monday.

In Doda, three individuals, including a woman identified as Zareena Begum , were taken into custody during a raid at Dak Mohalla in the main town on Sunday evening. Acting on specific inputs and ongoing surveillance, police recovered 85 grams of suspected brown sugar along with cash exceeding ₹23 lakh from the premises.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Doda, Mohd Aslam said Zareena Begum had been under watch following intelligence inputs about her alleged involvement in drug trafficking. Her daughter and son-in-law were also detained during the operation. “Their roles are being examined, and further arrests will be made based on the investigation. Raids are continuing at other suspected locations,” Aslam said.

Meanwhile, in Kathua district, police arrested three alleged drug peddlers Pardeep Singh of Hiranagar, Rahees Butt of Billawar, and Ali Sen of Amritsar (Punjab) in separate operations. Authorities seized small quantities of heroin from Singh and Butt, while a larger consignment of 303 grams was recovered from Sen. He was intercepted near Berrian-Pattan village while travelling in a private vehicle on the Jammu-Pathankot highway .

All three accused have been booked under the NDPS Act , and further investigation is underway. In Udhampur, police intensified financial action against the drug network by attaching assets worth ₹73 lakh in two separate cases. These include a newly constructed house, a car, a motorcycle, and a mobile phone valued at ₹65 lakh, belonging to an accused identified as Saif Ali , booked earlier this year in Majalta.

In another case, movable property worth ₹8 lakh , including a car owned by Danish Butt of Doda , was attached under Section 68(F) of the NDPS Act in connection with a case registered at Rehambal police station.

Police said the action reflects a dual strategy targeting both drug trafficking and the financial networks supporting it, with further operations expected in the coming days.