In the ongoing Nasha Mukti Abhiyan aimed at making the Union Territory free from the menace of drugs within 100 days, special squads have been constituted in all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir to monitor the activities of women drug peddlers.
Apart from tracking the movement of notorious traffickers from various drug hotspots, agencies are also closely monitoring the activities of women involved in drug trafficking.
Sources said that dedicated teams comprising officials from different wings of the police, including the intelligence wing, have been constituted to tackle women drug traffickers, who are often dodging law enforcement agencies through deceitful tactics.
On Tuesday, two drug traffickers, including a woman, were arrested from the Samba and Pulwama districts.
According to the police, during a naka on the Jammu–Pathankot National Highway near AIIMS in Vijaypur, a Swift car bearing registration number JK08E-3280 was intercepted for checking. The vehicle was coming from the Samba side and heading towards Vijaypur.
During the search, drugs were recovered from the possession of two persons travelling in the vehicle. The accused were identified as Sanjeev Kumar, son of Prem Chand, a resident of Haria Chak in Kathua district, and Malkeet Kour, wife of Sharmeet Singh, a resident of Keri in Jammu district. Both were arrested.
It is important to mention that tackling women drug traffickers poses a significant challenge for the police, as female operatives are adopting innovative methods to evade detection.
In 2025, a total of 311 drug peddlers were arrested in Jammu district. However, a disturbing trend has emerged, with women and even married couples increasingly becoming active players in the narcotics trade.
Out of the total accused arrested under the NDPS Act in the district, 35 were women, highlighting a worrying shift in the drug supply chain. Police officials said women are no longer merely acting as couriers but, in several cases, are operating as independent kingpins, running all-women networks to avoid suspicion.
Even more concerning is the growing involvement of couples who have allegedly turned drug trafficking into a joint criminal enterprise.
The recent arrest of a young husband-wife duo with a heroin-like substance has sent shockwaves across the district. The couple was intercepted while transporting narcotics on a scooter—a tactic officials say reflects new and deceptive smuggling methods being adopted by traffickers.
Police officials further revealed that women are increasingly being used as couriers to transport drugs with reduced suspicion.
In a recent case, police arrested a female drug supplier in North Kashmir who was allegedly involved in distributing narcotics smuggled from across the border. To counter the intensified crackdown by law enforcement agencies, Pakistan-based handlers have reportedly devised a new strategy by recruiting women and couples to supply narcotics across different parts of the region.
The drug menace has emerged as a serious threat in the Union Territory, as proceeds from the illegal trade are being used to fund terror groups and anti-national activities.
In another case, a female drug trafficker arrested from the Shastri Nagar locality of Jammu city was found to be in contact with handlers based in Pakistan. The handler had allegedly shared a location via WhatsApp and instructed her to drop a consignment of narcotics at the specified spot in the area.
During questioning, her links with Pakistan-based handlers were established through her mobile records. Police sources said she was in regular contact with individuals involved in monitoring narco-terror modules across Jammu province. Her call details further revealed consistent communication with terror operatives across the border.
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