J&K Police attaches drug peddler’s properties worth Rs 7 crore in Kathua

Police in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district attached properties worth approximately Rs 7 crore belonging to a detained drug peddler, as part of an intensified anti-drug trafficking campaign.

(PTI) Police on Thursday attached properties worth approximately Rs 7 crore belonging to a detained drug peddler in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, officials said.

The move comes amid police's intensified campaign against drug trafficking networks and their financial infrastructure.

The attached properties comprises 6 kanal and 18 marlas of land and a single-storey residential house, having a plinth area of 2,107 square feet, situated at Chak Sheikha area, they said.

The properties belong to Harpaul Singh, alias Balochi, a resident of Kathua, who is detained under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988, officials said.

Investigators said the properties were prima facie, acquired through proceeds generated from illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The actions were carried out the directions of Kathua's Senior Superintendent of Police Mohita Sharma.

The properties were formally attached under various sections of the Act, after it was identified as illegally acquired during the course of investigation, officials said.

They said that Singh has been involved in four NDPS-related cases registered in Kathua district over the years.

Local residents have welcomed the action, describing it as a strong step against narcotics-related activities in the district.

Police reiterated its commitment to making the district drug-free by targeting both drug traffickers and assets allegedly created through proceeds of the narcotics trade.