Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 2: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Jammu Zonal Unit, has secured the conviction of a key trafficker involved in transporting a large consignment of Charas (Cannabis resin) from Kashmir to Rajasthan.
An NCB spokesperson said the case dates back to January 14, 2022, when reliable intelligence indicated that a person identified as Ghulam Mustafa Khan, a resident of Qazigund in Anantnag district, was travelling in a bus (JK02AE-4161) from Srinagar to Jaipur carrying a large quantity of narcotics.
Acting swiftly, he said, a team of NCB Jammu set up a checkpoint at Ban Toll Plaza, Nagrota, and intercepted the bus the same evening.
“During the search, two packets wrapped with brown adhesive tape were recovered from the accused’s bag. The contents tested positive for Charas and weighed 2.4 kilograms, which falls under the commercial quantity category,” said the NCB spokesperson.
He said the accused later confessed to trafficking the contraband, and subsequent forensic examination by the Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL), New Delhi, also confirmed it to be Charas.
He said the investigation also pointed to the involvement of other suspects through call detail records, indicating a wider trafficking network.
Following a detailed trial, the NCB spokesperson said, the Special Judge NDPS Cases, Jammu, YP Sharma, found Ghulam Mustafa Khan guilty under Sections 8 and 20 of the NDPS Act.
According to him, the court awarded the accused 12 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
“The conviction reinforces our commitment to act firmly against drug traffickers and protect youth from the menace of narcotics,” the NCB spokesperson said.
The NCB official also noted a growing trend of traffickers attempting to smuggle cannabis resin from Kashmir to other States, stressing the need for continued vigilance to dismantle such networks.
“We will continue to act with an iron hand against all those involved in the illicit drug trade,” the spokesperson added.
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