3 min readJammuMay 17, 2026 05:41 PM IST
The Jammu and Kashmir Police, as part of the ongoing Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir campaign, announced Sunday that they have successfully retrieved nearly 50 kanals (approximately 6.25 acres) of land from illegal occupation by drug peddlers in the Samba district.
Pointing out that Samba SSP Anuj Kumar led the drive involving officials from both the civil administration and the police, they said the retrieved land belonged to the SIDCO Industrial Complex at Bari Brahmana and was valued at approximately Rs 60 crore. The land was handed over to SIDCO after its boundary was properly fenced and flood lights installed, they added.
The demolition site known as ‘Balole Khad’ had been identified as a hotspot for drug activity. This location was part of a targeted anti-narcotics enforcement action conducted jointly by the Samba district police and the civil administration. The operation aimed to address illegal structures that have become safe havens for drug peddlers and habitual offenders involved in heroin trafficking, according to the police.
During the drive, 33 illegal structures, including “narco palaces” of eight drug peddlers raised on the encroached land, were demolished, the police said.
The alleged drug peddlers have been identified as Mohammad Baru and his wife Bahua Bibi. The former, who is named in 10 FIRs, including Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases, registered at different police stations in Samba district, is presently absconding pursuant to the issuance of a Public Safety Act (PSA) warrant against him. His wife is named in three FIRs, including one registered under the NDPS Act.
Another drug peddler, Manshu, is involved in seven FIRs, including NDPS cases at the Bari Brahmana police station. The others are Farman Ali alias Muna (three NDPS cases), Farooq Din alias Dana (two FIRs, including an NDPS case), Farooq Ali alias Kana (six criminal cases), besides Haider alias Raju and Farman Din (both two criminal cases each).
The police said that the area had been under continuous surveillance as several notorious drug peddlers were operating from there.
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The Samba police said they have adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drug peddling and every individual involved in destroying the future of the younger generation through narcotics trade shall be dealt with strictly under law, adding that anti-narcotic operations in coordination with the civil administration will continue till the entire drug ecosystem is dismantled.
