Unknown gunmen shot dead a narcotics smuggler in Karnah area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district late last night, police said on Tuesday.
In a statement, a spokesperson said that late last some sound of gunshots were heard in Haridal area, following which a swift search operation was launched by local Police and Army unit in the area.
The statement reads that the search operation led to the discovery of a lifeless body of Mukhtar Ahmad Shah (42) son of Late Syed Akbar Shah, of Karnah.
“The body was found in Pingla Haridal village. Police promptly shifted the body to SDH Tangdhar for necessary medico-legal procedures. Subsequent to the post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the family for lat rites. A case has been registered under appropriate sections, and a thorough investigation has been initiated,” it reads.
It reads that during preliminary investigations, it appears that the deceased has been killed by some rival narcotics smuggling gang members or rival terror operatives.
“Mukhtar Ahmad Shah was a high-profile narcotics smuggler and a person of significant interest in the region. He had been found involved in two cases of narcotics and weapons smuggling in the recent past and had confessed to orchestrating transportation of substantial quantities of narcotics and weaponry across the border. His association with his brother, Sadiq Shah, a prominent figure as both a launching commander and a supplier of narcotics and weapons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), underscores the depth of his involvement in these illicit activities,” it added.
It further reads that Sadiq Shah is himself chargesheeted in narco-terror cases and happens to be a top terrorist commander based in POJK.
“Furthermore, the Shah family has been entangled in various legal cases relating to narcotics and weapons smuggling. At least six other members of the Mukhtar Ahmad Shah’s family are currently facing charges in connection to these criminal activities,” it reads.
