Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Feb 6: Police today recovered 10 kilogramme of narcotics from a Pakistani truck near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri leading to India and Pakistan standoff with 78 trucks and their drivers stranded on either side of the LoC.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, North Kashmir, Gareeb Das told Excelsior that 305 packets of brown sugar were recovered from a Pakistani truck bearing registration number P-9627 during its search at Salamabad Uri in North Kashmir.
Das said that truck driver Syed Inayat Hussain Shah, resident of Kumikote Muzaffarabad was detained and is being questioned about the recovery of brown sugar from the truck.
The DIG said the brown sugar was seized from orange boxes which were meant for RR Traders Baramulla, which is owned by Zahoor Ahmad Malla alias Raju Trali, resident of Mir Sahib Old Town Baramulla. “The consignment was sent by Mir Traders Muzaffarabad whose owner is Mushtaq Ahmad Mir”, he said.
Das said that these 305 packets are of 15-20 grams and 30-40 grams each and were concealed in the orange cartons. He said that these packets were concealed in such a way that it was very difficult to detect. “I compliment the police component for detecting the narcotics”, he added.
The DIG said that other Pakistani trucks are being searched thoroughly by the police for any narcotic substance. He said that he has sent a senior police officer to the spot to assess the situation and other trucks will be cleared after thorough checking.
Das said that Zahoor Ahmad is known offender and he is involved in 3-4 cases of anti-national activities. He said that strong action will be taken against the consignee.
The DIG said that trucks of Indian side are now stranded in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the LoC and Pakistani trucks are stranded in Salamabad. He said that they will inform the Ministry of External Affairs on the issue and seek their direction before proceeding further.
Around 28 trucks arrived in Salamabad this afternoon and 50 trucks from Salamabad left for Chakoti in Muzaffarabad carrying various items.
This is not for the first time that there was any stand off on the LoC due to recovery of narcotics. On January 17 last year, Police seized 114 packets of brown sugar from a truck (RIS-2137) driven by Mohammad Shafiq of Sarwar Muzaffarabad in Salamabad Uri.
27 Indian trucks along with their drivers were detained by Pakistan and they didn’t allow their own 48 Pakistani trucks and their drivers to return for about three weeks. However, the matter was later resolved by the External Affairs Ministries of both the countries and the trucks and drivers were allowed to cross to their respective countries except the driver from whose truck the brown sugar was recovered.
India and Pakistan started cross LoC trade in Jammu and Kashmir from Uri in Kashmir and Chakan-da-Bagh in Jammu in 2006, a year after Srinagar-Muzaffarad bus service was started in April 2005 first time after the partition.
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