Srinagar, May 03: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday described drug trafficking as “silent terrorism” engineered from across the border to systematically destroy Jammu & Kashmir’s youth, and vowed that peddlers will be treated as “enemies of the nation” with no mercy under the law.
“This is not just crime. This is terrorism — silent terrorism. It is poisoning lives, weakening families, and bleeding J&K dry,” LG Sinha said at the TRC Football Ground here before leading a ‘padyatra’ under the ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyaan’.
The anti-drug campaign, he said, has turned into a “Jan Andolan” in just 22 days. “This war is being fought in every home, every mohalla, every lane — because drugs are draining the life force of our youth.”
Flagging a grave security dimension, LG Sinha asserted that narco-networks are directly linked to terror infrastructure. “We are facing a dangerous enemy sitting in our neighbourhood. Drug money is being used to fund terrorism and procure weapons,” he said, adding that the syndicates are targeting the “most creative and productive force — our youth”.
The LG said 481 FIRs have been registered, 518 drug smugglers arrested, and 24 narco-properties attached — including in Kashmir districts. Nearly 300 driving licences suspended, five passports cancelled, 325 vehicles seized, and over 3,000 drug stores inspected.
“Financial transactions of drug syndicates are being tracked. Each link of the network is being broken,” LG Sinha said.
He warned that police stations will maintain photo galleries of peddlers and lookout notices will be issued against absconders. “Where there is guilt, there will be no mercy. Drug smugglers will be treated like enemies of the country.”
LG Sinha called upon religious leaders, teachers, women and youth groups to act as the administration’s “eyes and ears”. “Prepare lists of drug traffickers. The time for silence is over,” he said, noting that over 70,000 people have already joined the movement.
Taking drugs is not “cool”, he added, stressing that addicts are victims who need treatment — but peddlers will face the strictest law. “The days of those trying to destroy Jammu and Kashmir are over. We have taken a pledge to make J&K drug-free — and we will achieve it.” (KNS)
