Jammu: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday produced Pakistan-linked narco-terror kingpin Mohammad Arshad before a Jammu court, which sent him to judicial custody.
The SIA had achieved a major breakthrough on Saturday with Arshad’s arrest at Mumbai airport. Arshad, also known as Asif, is a resident of Degwar-Terwan village in Haveli tehsil of Poonch and had been absconding since 2023. Officials said he had been operating from Saudi Arabia.
A Look-Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him in 2023, followed by a non-bailable warrant (NBW), after authorities launched a crackdown on a narco-terror network active in the Pir Panjal region of Poonch.
According to the SIA, Arshad was the main handler connecting Pakistan-based operatives with local networks in Jammu and Kashmir. During a joint police-Army operation in May 2023, a gunfight broke out between security forces and terrorists in which four militants were captured.
Security personnel recovered a large cache of arms and narcotics — including one IED, six hand grenades, an AK-56 rifle with 70 rounds, four pistols, and 29 kilograms of heroin.
In total, eight people were found involved in the case, with two remaining on the run. One of them, Laquit Ahmed, was arrested in March 2025 by SIA Jammu at Ahmedabad airport after fleeing to Dubai following the incident.
Officials said Arshad had arranged Ahmed’s travel to Dubai and also convened a clandestine meeting in Surankote, Poonch, to revive terrorism and narco-terror operations in the Pir Panjal region.
