MUZAFFARABAD: At least 25 kilograms of heroin and counterfeit Indian currency of half a million rupees were seized by authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Wednesday from a consignment destined for Indian-held Kashmir, through intra-Kashmir trade.

The recovery was made at the Tetrinote-Chakan da Bagh crossing point at the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district from a consignment of dried dates (Chhuhara). The consignment was loaded on the truck in the Muridke town of Punjab.

“During the scrutiny process, police and other staff at the Tetrinote terminal recovered 25 packets of heroin and fake Indian currency of Rs497,000 in banknotes of Rs500 and Rs1000 denomination,” a senior police official told Dawn by phone from Hajira in Poonch district.

The consignment was booked by one Kafil, a resident of Hajira, for Imtiaz Ahmed on the other side of the LoC.

However, sources said that Kafil was merely a ‘commission agent’ and that the consignment actually belonged to a man named Tariq, a resident of Sheikhupura, and was loaded in the truck bearing registration number RII-628, in Muridke.

The official said that the entire consignment and the vehicle had been impounded and three people had been arrested.

Those arrested include driver Jehangir, conductor Farhan and trader Kafil’s clerk Saeed.

Police were searching for other accused.

The recovery, however, did not disturb exchange of other goods-laden vehicles, as six trucks from the AJK and 25 from the IHK ferried their consignments to opposite sides.

According to sources, AJK Travel and Trade Authority (Tata) Director General retired Brig Imtiaz Wyne rushed to the Tetrinote Terminal and reportedly gave Rs25000 cash rewards to the staff that had seized the contraband items.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2015

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