drug addiction in kashmir essay

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• Ind Psychiatry J
• v.31(2); Jul-Dec 2022

Drug abuse in North Kashmir – An experience from a drug de-addiction center

Ashish kumar goyal.

Department of Community Medicine, Armed Forces Medical Services, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Ravi Nimonkar

1 Department of Community Medicine, Armed Forces Medical Services, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Vishal Chopra

2 Department of Psychiatry, Armed Forces Medical Services, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Pardal Maninder Pal Singh

Background:.

The history of substance abuse is as old as mankind itself. Easy transit of drugs across the state of Jammu and Kashmir is facilitated due to its geographical location.

Materials and Methods:

A descriptive study was carried out among individuals with substance use disorders in a de-addiction center in Northern Kashmir from August 2017 to July 2018. The study sample included all patients with substance use disorders attending the de-addiction center. Inclusion criteria: Individuals using substances attending the de-addiction center where the study was carried out were included in the study. Exclusion criteria: Individuals using substances attending the de-addiction center and not willing to participate were excluded from the study. A semi-structured pretested questionnaire was utilized as the study tool. Excel sheet and SPSS version 23 were used for data analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional ethical committee.

The mean (SD) age of patients was 29.58 years (8.8) ranging from 10 to 62 years and all were males. The commonest age of onset for substance use was between 11 and 20 years (56%). Nicotine abuse was the most common substance in our study. Peer pressure (52.8%) was the most common reason for drug dependence, followed by relief from negative symptoms on abstinence (29.6%).

Conclusion:

There is a worrying trend of the early age of initiation into substance use disorders. Since more youth are becoming engaged in substance use, it is important to evolve and apply preventive, curative, and rehabilitative strategies before it is too late.

INTRODUCTION

The history of substance abuse is as old as mankind itself. However, recently on account of influence by social, economical, political, and psychosocial factors, it has become a global problem. The problem involves interaction between the epidemiological triad of agent, host, and environment; and is not merely that of an individual or a community. The problem becomes complex due to the multiplicity of factors associated with drug abuse and their interaction.[ 1 , 2 ]

Substance abuse is a broader term that implies the use of harmful or hazardous psychoactive substances including alcohol, tobacco, and other illicit drugs like opioids, heroin, amphetamines, cannabis, and many more.[ 2 ] According to World Health Organization (WHO), substance abuse is defined as, “Persistent or sporadic use of a substance inconsistent with or unrelated to acceptable medical practice.”[ 3 ]

Easy transit of drugs across the state of Jammu and Kashmir is facilitated due to its geographical location worsened due to its proximity to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) where drug addiction is widespread.[ 1 , 4 ]

Adequate literature is available pertaining to drug abuse in various parts of India. However, despite an extensive search of the internet, the researchers observed that literature about substance abuse in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is conspicuous by its paucity. This prompted the researchers to conduct a study to fill in the gaps.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A descriptive study was conducted in the drug de-addiction center (DDC), in Northern Kashmir. The center is staffed with one psychiatrist, two medical officers, one clinical psychologist, one medical social worker, and two staff nurses. The study was carried out for 1 year from August 2017 to July 2018. The study sample included 108 individuals with substance use disorders who attended the de-addiction center during the period of study. As per American Psychiatric Association, persons with substance use disorders can be defined as follows: Individuals with substance use disorders[ 5 ] are those persons who are having physical and psychological dependence for the substance and the following signs:

• a craving or strong urge to use the substance; desire or failed attempts to cut down or control substance use.
• failure to complete major tasks at work, school, or home; social, work, or leisure activities are given up or cut back.
• continued use despite knowing problems.
• withdrawal symptoms.

Peer pressure: It is defined as a feeling that one must do the same things as other people of one's age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them.[ 6 ]

Inclusion criteria: Patients with substance use disorders attending the de-addiction center were included in the study.

Exclusion criteria: Patients with substance use disorders not willing to participate were excluded from the study.

Prior consent was obtained from the patients in the case of adults and parents in the case of minors. Two to three sittings were carried out with each patient to build rapport and confidence among the patients, which facilitated eliciting more relevant and accurate information.

A pretested and pre-designed questionnaire was used to evaluate the patients. The questionnaire included various sociodemographic details like age, sex, education, occupation, type of substance(s) used, age of initiation for each substance, and relevant family history. Besides the above information, reasons for substance abuse were also inquired from each patient. Descriptive analysis (percentages, mean, median, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum) was performed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 23. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional ethical committee.

The mean, median, standard deviation, minimum and maximum age of patients, duration of dependence, and age of starting substance use are tabulated in Table 1 .

Mean, median, standard deviation, minimum and maximum age of patients, duration of dependence, and age of starting substance use

All the cases were males, there were no females. Fifty-three (49.07%) cases were between 20 and 30 years of age, while 31 (28.70%) were in the age group of 30 to 40 years. Age distribution of cases is presented in Table 2 . Ninety-six (88.88%) cases belonged to nuclear families. The distribution of cases according to the type of family is presented in Table 2 . Out of 108 cases, 54 (50%) were educated up to high school education, while 32 (29.6%) had attended only primary school. The distribution of cases according to literacy status and socioeconomic status is shown in Table 2 . Forty-six (42.59%) cases were abusing nicotine, while 37 (34.25%) were polysubstance abusers. The distribution of cases according to the type of substance use and age of onset of substance use is shown in Table 3 . Forty-seven (43.52%) cases started using drugs between 11 and 20 years of age, while 33 (30.56%) started substance use between the age of 20 and 30 years.

Sociodemographic characteristic of study population

Distribution of cases as per type and age of initiation of substance abuse

The commonest reason reported for initiation of substance use was peer pressure, wherein 57 (52.77%) cases gave this reason, followed by relief from negative affect, which was reported by 32 (29.62%) cases. Further analysis regarding the association between type of family and duration of substance dependence, educational status and duration of substance dependence, type of family and age of starting drug use, educational status and age of onset of substance use and duration of substance dependence could not be carried out because the values in some cells were less than five.

Our study has revealed that most (49.07%) of the individuals with substance use disorders are in the age group of 21 to 30 years which indicates that most of the adults in our study were involved in substance abuse and these findings are also supported by a study wherein 50.5% and 60.33% patients with substance use disorders were in the age group of 21–30 years and 20 to 29 years, respectively.[ 1 , 7 ] Another study conducted in the Andaman shows that the onset of regular use of alcohol in late childhood and early adolescence is associated with the highest rates of consumption in adult life, compared to the later onset of drinking.[ 8 ] Another study found that 34% of study participants were in the age group of 21 to 30 years.[ 5 ] A study conducted in Punjab revealed that a significant association of drug abuse was observed with male gender, illiteracy, and age above 30 years, which is nearly similar to findings in our study.[ 9 ]

Another study reported that 89.9% of individuals using substances belonged to a nuclear family.[ 1 ] While these findings (52.4%) differ in a study carried out among 300 drug addicts[ 2 ] and another study on 300 subjects which reported an almost equal representation of subjects from nuclear and joint families.[ 7 ] However, these findings differ from those of our study.

In a study by Kumar et al. [ 10 ] in de-addiction centers of New Delhi, 21% of the addicts were illiterate or educated till primary level as compared to 17.3% in the present study. A National Survey by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (2002) found that 29% of the drug abusers were illiterates and a significant number of them came from lower strata.[ 11 ] In a study by Rather et al. ,[ 1 ] 78.8% of people using drugs were educated up to high school. These findings are similar to our study, wherein we have observed that 79.6% of patients with substance use disorders were educated up to high school. However, our findings differ from the study carried out by Baba et al. and Rather et al. ,[ 2 , 7 ] wherein they reported that 44% and 51.33% of persons using substances, respectively, were educated up to high school.

Rather et al. [ 1 ] reported 32% of individuals abusing drugs belonged to the lower-middle socioeconomic class. Kadri et al. [ 12 ] in their study reported that 31.3% belonged to the lower-middle socioeconomic class. These findings differ from that of our study, wherein we have observed that 52% of cases belonged to the lower-middle socioeconomic class.

Various Indian studies have shown that alcohol and tobacco are the most abused substances. Dubé et al. [ 13 ] reported that in Uttar Pradesh 22.8/1000 were dependent on alcohol and drugs, while Thacore et al. [ 14 ] in their study noted a statistic of 18.55/1000. The important finding of these studies is that alcohol was the most common substance used (60%–98%). Rather et al. [ 1 ] reported nicotine and medicinal opioids abuse in 94.4% and 65.7% of cases, respectively, in their study of 198 subjects. Baba et al. [ 2 ] reported tobacco abuse in 22.5% cases. Rather et al. [ 7 ] reported nicotine and opioid abuse in 92% and 87.33% of cases, respectively, in their study of 198 subjects. Various epidemiological surveys also revealed that 20%–40% of subjects above 15 years were users of alcohol.[ 15 , 16 ] Same surveys also reported that alcohol was the most common substance abused (82.5%), followed by cannabis (16.1%) in the rural population of Uttar Pradesh. Kadri et al. [ 12 ] reported alcohol as the commonest substance being abused in 70.2% of their subjects, while tobacco abuse was reported in 3.6% of cases. Margoob et al. [ 4 ] reported cannabis abuse in 77% of their study subjects. A study conducted in Punjab revealed the most common substance abused was alcohol (41.8%), followed by tobacco (21.3%). The same study also reported a high prevalence of heroin abusers (20.8%).[ 9 ] These findings differ from that of our study, wherein we have observed nicotine use disorders abuse in 46 (42.59%); and alcohol use disorders in 4 (3.7%) cases.

Rather et al. [ 1 ] reported polysubstance abuse in 91.9% of cases. These findings are in contrast to our study wherein we have observed polysubstance abuse in 34.25% of cases. Baba et al. [ 2 ] reported polysubstance abuse in 35.1% of cases. These findings are similar to our study.

The commonest age of onset of substance use in our study was between 11 and 20 years (43.52%). However, Rather et al. [ 1 ] in their study reported that 76.8% of cases had started substance abuse in the age group of 11 to 20 years. Kadri et al. [ 12 ] reported that 39.6% of subjects had started consuming drugs at the age of 11–20 years. It is estimated that in India, by the time most boys reach the ninth grade, about 50% of them have tried at least one of the substances of abusive nature.[ 17 ]

Evaluation of causal factors for initiation of substance use reveals peer pressure (52.8%) was the most common factor followed by relief from negative symptoms (29.6%). Our findings are similar to those observed by Rather et al. ,[ 1 ] wherein they reported peer pressure (96%) and relief from a negative affect state (45%) as the commonest reasons for initiation of drug abuse. Baba et al. [ 2 ] observed that the commonest causes for initiation of drug abuse were a failure in a love affair (29.2%), followed by peer group pressure (26.3%) and family discord (20.6%), respectively. These findings are in contrast to those of our study.

Limitations

Our study was primarily based on a population seeking treatment at a de-addiction center. The findings of our study could thus be possibly different from the true picture of drug addiction in the community.

Our study finds out that adolescents and adults up to 30 years of age (83%) have started substance use at an early age with nicotine and polysubstance as the most commonly abused substances in the low- and middle-income group (68%) and maximum persons were educated up to high school (93%). Our study holds important implications for all the stakeholders concerned with combating the mounting challenge of increasing psychoactive substance use in our society.

Declaration of patient consent

The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms. In the form, the patient(s) has/have given his/her/their consent for his/her/their images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patients understand that their names and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal their identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

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Kashmir battles alarming drug addiction crisis

On a rainy morning in May, dozens of young men queued outside a drug rehabilitation centre in Srinagar city in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Many of them were teens accompanied by their parents, waiting for their turn to receive medicines from the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), the only government-run drug rehabilitation centre in Kashmir. The medicines help reduce their withdrawal symptoms and prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.

"Did you take heroin again?" a doctor asks a young man after examining the size of his pupils.

"Yes, I couldn't control myself," he replies.

For decades, life in the Himalayan region of Kashmir has been racked by conflict and unrest. Nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan claim it in full but administer only parts of it, and have fought two wars over it. Since 1989, there has also been an insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir, costing tens of thousands of lives. In 2019, India divided the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two federally administered territories , flaring up tensions further.

Now the region is staring at a new crisis: officials say drug addiction is becoming a serious worry in Kashmir, devastating the lives of young people. They also say there is a sharp rise in the consumption of hard drugs such as heroin.

In March, a federal minister told parliament that nearly a million people in Jammu and Kashmir - around 8% of the region's population - use drugs of some kind, including cannabis, opioids or sedatives. While there are no comparable figures from earlier, doctors say there is a surge in the number of patients.

"Until a decade ago, we used to see 10-15 cases of drug addiction per day at our hospital. Now we see 150-200 cases a day. This is alarming," says Dr Yasir Rather, a psychiatrist and professor at IMHANS.

Experts attribute this to several factors, including a shortage of jobs and mental health issues arising from living in a conflict zone.

In press conferences, top police officials have highlighted the seizure of large quantities of banned substances, and said they have unearthed links to Pakistan. They allege that the money from drug smuggling is used to fund militancy in Kashmir - Pakistan has not officially responded to this allegation. But some drug dealers told this reporter that they also get supplies from other Indian states including Punjab and capital Delhi.

Substance abuse is not a new problem in the region. "But earlier, people would take cannabis or other medicinal opioids and heroin was not in the picture," Dr Yasir Rather says.

According to a survey conducted last year by the Jammu and Kashmir administration (there has been no elected government in the region since 2018), more than 52,000 people in Kashmir admitted to using heroin. The report says that on an average, a user spent around 88,000 rupees ($1,063.54; £860) a month to get the drug.

The numbers are likely to be higher as many people may not admit to their addiction or seek help due to the stigma around drugs.

Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, director of health services in Kashmir, said that the government understands the severity of the problem and has taken several initiatives to tackle it.

But experts say there is an urgent need for more rehabilitation centres where addicts can be admitted and receive consistent treatment.

While there are a few private institutions, there are only two public drug rehabilitation centres in Kashmir, and both are located in Srinagar - one is IMHANS and the other is operated by the police.

Dr Mushtaq Rather says that the government has also set up Addiction Treatment Facility Centres (ATFCs) in each district. But unlike drug rehabilitation centres, ATFCs don't have admission facilities. They are small clinics with one doctor, a counsellor and a nurse to treat patients.

"These ATFC centres provide counselling, treatment and medicines to the patients for free," says Dr Mushtaq Rather.

At IMHANS, the doctors are overwhelmed with patients who have come from all over Kashmir. While some drug users have voluntarily admitted themselves, others have been brought by their families. Most of the patients are men, though there are a few women as well.

"This is a sweet poison that will destroy you," says Danish Nazir (name changed), 23, a patient who has been at IMHANS for three weeks.

Mr Nazir, a businessman, runs a shop in Srinagar and says he would use his income to buy some heroin almost every day. But he recently got engaged and when his fiancée found out, she encouraged him to get help. The couple have decided they will only get married after Mr Nazir recovers completely.

Another patient, a 15-year-old boy who barely has a stubble on his face, says he started using drugs with his friends.

"They are easily available here," he said.

Some social activists say that the government has the primary responsibility of breaking the chain of drug supply.

"The police and the administration need to act swiftly on any inputs or information received about drug dealers," says Syed Shakeel Qalandar, an activist based in Kashmir.

Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, the divisional commissioner of Kashmir who supervises administrative issues, did not respond to a request for comment.

Vijay Kumar, the police chief of Kashmir, also did not respond to text messages. Police records show that more than 5,000 cases have been registered under the anti-narcotics law between 2019 and 2022. Officials have said they are conducting massive operations against drug dealers and the people who supply drugs to them. Apart from laws related to to the sale and use of narcotics, they are also using stringent laws such as the Public Safety Act - which allows police to detain people for at least a year without a trial - to crack down on drugs.

"But tackling drug abuse is not only the job of the police. Society also needs to come forward," a top police official told the BBC on condition of anonymity.

Apart from the serious physical and negative effects of drug abuse, there are other consequences too. Dr Yasir Rather says that users sometimes share syringes, increasing chances of contracting infections such as Hepatitis C.

There has also been an uptick in other crimes such as theft as people seek to get money to fund the addiction.

While the situation is serious, people like Mr Nazir are trying hard to get their life back on track. He says he is feeling better, and has words of hope for others.

"You may find it difficult initially but if you have the motivation, you can do it. Your family needs you," he said.

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Can Shark Tank fuel Kashmir's business dreams?

Why has india's punjab fallen into the grip of drug abuse.

Greater Kashmir

‘Collaborative efforts must by stakeholders to tackle drug abuse ’

The theme of the seminar was “scenario, sequelae and solutions” keeping in view rising prevalence of drug addiction across world and especially in jammu and kashmir.

GK NEWS SERVICE

Srinagar, Aug 28: As a part of mass awareness programme and collaboration between different stake holders, a multidisciplinary seminar on Drug Addiction was organised by the Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF), Department of Psychiatry SKIMS Medical College Bemina here today.

The theme of the seminar was “Scenario, Sequelae and Solutions” keeping in view rising prevalence of drug addiction across world and especially in Jammu and Kashmir.

Dr Irfan Robbani, Principal SKIMS Medical College, welcomed all the guest and audience for being part of the event. The inaugural ceremony was presided over by chief guest. Sunil Gupta, IPS, Inspector General of Police (Crime) with Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, former Advisor to Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. While Dr Seema Naz, Principal, Institute of Education and Dr Mohammad Ashraf Ganie, Director SKIMS were guests of honour.

Prof Abdul Majid, HOD Psychiatry in his introductory remarks made a presentation regarding magnitude of drug abuse in community and changing pattern of types of substances used over last few decades. He also emphasised role prevention, treatment and rehabilitation as the main stay of successful management of this challenging problem.

In his address, the Sunil Gupta emphasised on collaborative efforts by all stakeholders to tackle the menace by cooperating with law enforcement agencies and role of parents in nurturing their children in a harmonious environment. Khurshid Ahmad Ganai highlighted the role of coordination between different stakeholders like Health, Education, Law enforcement, Civil Society, youth service and sports, drug controlling agencies, religious scholars and every individual of our society. Ganai also emphasised on ethical and cultural values to given importance in day to day life.

Dr Seema Naz, Principal, Institute of Education, shared worrisome observations of females turning towards addictive substances in a place which is historically known for its cultural and religious values. Dr Mohd Ashraf Ganie, Director SKIMS & EOSG, emphasised on research projects and surveys to be taken up for a meticulous understanding of neurobiological and psychosocial factors associated with rising cases of drug abuse.

Khaliq U Zaman Bhat, retired Judge shared the significant contribution made by judiciary in trying to addresss the issue and urged that fast-track courts for early disposal of cases. Tahir Magray, JKAS, Revenue Attorney, in Divisional Commissioners Officer highlighted the need for stringent measures for handling the drug peddlers and stressed on moral values and spiritual practices be made part of day today life.

Mohammad Shafi, SP Crime gave detailed account of cases the crime branch has successfully resolved and also shared challenges the department is facing while trying to curb the menace. Mir Musharraff, a MBBS student from SKIMS also presented the youth perspective of the problem. Other dignitaries present were Dr Shariq Masoodi, Dean SKIMS, Dr. Mohammad Maqbool, HOD Psychiatry, Govt Medical Medical College Srinagar (IMHANS-K), Dr Faiz Fazili, Faculty of SKIMS Medical College in addition to Scholars and students from Department of Social Work &Psychology (Kashmir University), Medical Students and Nursing students from Islamic University of Science & Technology. Dr. Nizam ud Din, assistant Professor of Psychiatry delivered the vote of thanks.

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Drug addiction and youth of Kashmir

2012, International NGO journal

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• DOI: 10.21767/2471-853X.100059
• Corpus ID: 52023557

Drug Addiction in Kashmir: Issues and Challenges

• S. Bhat , N. Imtiaz
• Published 2017
• Sociology, Medicine

6 Citations

Awareness towards drug abuse and its associated factors in young adults of kashmir, north india: a cross sectional study, a qualitative study of the initiation, causes, and consequences of drug addiction, substance abuse and mental health disorder among the youth living in conflict environment, exploring the epidemic of drug addiction in kashmir: understanding its root causes, alkol/madde kullanım bozukluğu olan bireylerin tedavi süreci ve taburculuk sonrası gereksinimleri üzerine bir araştırma: ankara amatem örneği, eliciting recovery narratives in global mental health: benefits and potential harms in service user participation., 17 references, drug abuse in kashmir - experience from a psychiatric diseases hospital, socio-demographic and clinical profile of substance abusers attending a regional drug de-addiction centre in chronic conflict area: kashmir, india., the delusion of pleasure : understanding the pathology of drug abuse in kashmir valley, substance abuse in india, mental health and cannabis abusers of kashmir valley, drug addiction and youth of kashmir, related papers.

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Drug addiction-related crime: A new worry stalks Kashmir

The latest report of a homicide exposes the gravity of the situation in the region..

Published : Apr 10, 2023 14:09 IST - 4 MINS READ

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Srinagar Police arrested two cross-border narcotics smugglers named Sajjad Badana and Zaheer Tanch on April 7. They seized 11.08 kg of heroin worth Rs.70 crore and Rs.11.82 lakh in cash from them. | Photo Credit: ANI

With yet another shocking case of homicide reportedly linked to drug abuse, the third in six months, hitting the headlines, the gravity of the drug menace in Kashmir is once again in the limelight.

It has prompted discussion among academics and the medical fraternity on the rising incidence of drug abuse in the Valley and the linkage between drug addiction and crime.

On March 30, Showkat Ahmad Ganaie, a 32-year-old resident of Dangerpora village in Sopore in north Kashmir, reportedly strangled his 70-year-old mother, Aisha Begum. It is speculated that the accused, now under detention, is a drug addict.

Reports of rising abuse

The reports of homicide come at a time when nearly 10 lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir are victims of drug abuse, as the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment informed the Lok Sabha in March this year.

Of this, the government data showed, at least 1.44 lakh drug abusers are consuming cannabis while opioid addiction is prevalent among 5.34 lakh men and 8,000 women, and sedative addiction among 1.6 lakh men and 8,000 women.

The Ministry was responding to a query by Lok Sabha member Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference.

Health experts suspect that these figures could be much lower than the actual numbers as many drug users are loath to open up or seek medical care fearing ostracism.

At any rate, the figure is a significant spike from 2022, when a report by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of AIIMS in June estimated the total number of drug abusers in Jammu & Kashmir at over 6 lakh for that year, placing the Union Territory fifth in the country among all States and Union Territories.

Another study, conducted in December 2022, also painted a grim picture. In this study, done across all 10 districts of Kashmir by the Department of Mental Health and Neurosciences in collaboration with the Health Services Department and financed by the Social Welfare Department, Kashmir was ranked second, ahead of Punjab, in drug abuse among the States and Union Territories in the country. The North-East States combined took the top spot.

Also Read | Why is drug abuse in Kashmir skyrocketing among the youth?

Other cases

The Sopore incident was not a one-off case. In December 2022, Javed Hassan Rather, a baker in Pahalgam, attacked his family members and neighbours with a wooden log, allegedly under the influence of drugs. Neighbours said that he was a long-time drug abuser and killed three persons, including his mother, Hafeeza. He reportedly injured seven others.

In October 2022, Aqib Ahmad Khan, the elder son of Razia of Kehribal village in Anantnag, attempted to steal money from his home along with his friend, Abid. When an argument broke out between Razia and her son, he attacked her, crushing her head with a heavy stone. He was reportedly stealing money to buy drugs.

According to experts, it is common for abusers to get into the habit of stealing from friends and family to maintain the cash flow required to buy drug.

Speaking to Frontline , Dr Yasir Rather, professor of psychiatry at IMHANS Srinagar, said that the increasing crime graph in Kashmir may be linked to the spike in heroin abusers, with users turning to burglary and even murder in their desperation to acquire their fix. He pointed out that “addicts becoming peddlers to secure a cash flow is rampant”.

Drugs from Pakistan

There seems to be a firmly entrenched corridor for illegally routing drugs from Pakistan to Kashmir and from there to the rest of India. Many political observers have described this racket as “narco-terrorism”.

In previous interactions, a handful of officials in the security apparatus and researchers tracking the drug menace in Kashmir had told Frontline that Keran village in Kupwara in the northern tip of the Himalayan valley serves as the conduit for the drug racketeers. From Keran, the consignments reach Rajouri border and then make their way to Jammu, from where they travel to the mainland.

The money involved is enormous. Apparently, one gram of heroin is available for Rs.1,200-1,500 in Kupwara, but in Srinagar peddlers charge Rs. 2,500-3,000 for it.

There are frequent seizures of consignments coming from Pakistan. In March, over 300 kilograms of narcotic substances were seized and destroyed in Samba district by the Narcotics Control Bureau’s Jammu zonal unit. It included 153 kg of heroin and 177 kg of charas.

In October 2022, the Jammu & Kashmir Police seized 21.5 kg of heroin worth more than Rs.75 crore. The consignments had “Afghan” stamps on them and were being smuggled in a truck from Kashmir to Punjab.

In 2022, the Jammu & Kashmir Police registered 1,021 cases and arrested 1,700 drug peddlers under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

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