In a major drug bust, the Baramulla Police today seized 66.5 kilograms of suspected heroin worth Rs 300 crore from a truck that originated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The truck was purportedly carrying boxes full of garments, but hidden among the boxes were packets of narcotics.

The truck, numbered AJK XA-267, originated from Muzzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and was headed towards Uri in Kashmir. Officials posted at the LoC Trade Centre in Salamabad, Uri, who were already on the lookout for such a truck after receiving intelligence inputs about the movement of drugs, stopped the lorry and carried out a search, which led to the recovery of the narcotics.

The driver of the truck - a PoK man named Syed Yousuf - has been arrested, but officials believe he is just a small-time operative. A case has registered under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act (NDPSA).

Two men - a fabric businessman and his relative - are believed to be responsible for the drug consignment. They have been identified and are being tracked, Baramulla SSP Imtiyaz Hussaid said.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST HAULS

Today's drug haul is one of the biggest in Jammu and Kashmir. The state's biggest ever drug was in 2014 when over 100 kilogram of brown sugar was seized. The 2014 consignment too came from PoK.

Cross LoC trade at the Chakoti-Uri section has been under radar of intelligence and security agencies for a while now. Agencies are also concerned at that LoC trade routes are being used to by terror associates to route Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) into India.

In March, the Jammu and Kashmir police also busted an arms consignment, arrested a truck driver who was transporting pistols, grenades and assorted ammunition from across the PoK. The arms, police said, were meant for terrorists in south Kashmir.

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