A Jammu and Kashmir Police investigation into a cross-border drug network has flagged an alleged link between Pakistan-based handlers, social media platforms and local criminal networks, raising concerns over the use of digital platforms to draw young people into illegal activities.
The probe was stepped up when two alleged couriers were arrested in the Arnia sector of Jammu. The police seized an Italian-made Beretta pistol, two magazines, four live rounds, nearly 500 grams of heroin and 500 grams of opium from the couriers, News18 quoted reports.
Investigators are now examining whether the drug network is also being used as a recruitment channel. Officials suspect that Pakistan-based handlers and their associates are identifying vulnerable young people through platforms such as Instagram and gaming applications, particularly those already connected to local gangs or involved in minor criminal activities.
How The Alleged Network Operates
According to investigators, potential recruits are initially offered money and drawn into narcotics trafficking, weapons movement or other criminal tasks. Police fear that some of those brought into the network could subsequently be exposed to radicalisation or terror-related activities.
The investigation has also highlighted the role of social media in identifying potential recruits. Previous investigations into Pakistan-based gangster Shehzad Bhatti’s network have found that Instagram was allegedly used to approach young men in India and assign them criminal tasks.
Instagram Link To Pakistan-Based Handler
During questioning, the two arrested suspects allegedly told investigators that they were in contact with Pakistan-based handler Shehzad Bhatti through Instagram.
Police are examining whether this contact formed part of a larger network through which handlers identify recruits and subsequently use them for drug transportation, logistics and weapons-related activities.
Bhatti has previously been named by Indian agencies in cases involving alleged recruitment of young people through social media and cross-border arms networks. The NIA has also named him as an accused in a separate grenade attack case.
Drone Drops Used To Move Drugs, Arms
Investigators have also uncovered an alleged drone-based supply chain operating across the Jammu border.
According to police sources cited in the investigation, the two suspects allegedly received two consignments dropped by drones from Pakistan in forward agricultural areas. The latest consignment was allegedly buried near a tube-well before it could be moved further.
The recovered material included narcotics and a pistol, highlighting the alleged use of drones to move drugs and weapons across the International Border without requiring handlers or couriers to physically cross over.
From Drug Couriers To Arms Suppliers
Investigators believe the arrested men may have played a wider role in the network rather than functioning only as drug carriers.
According to police sources, they allegedly transported and supplied multiple pistols to criminal elements in Punjab in the weeks before their arrest.
The findings have raised concerns over the overlap between cross-border narcotics trafficking, illegal arms supply and criminal networks operating across Jammu, Kashmir and Punjab.
Why Youth Are A Major Concern
Security officials are particularly concerned about young people who already have links with gangs or have been involved in minor offences.
Investigators believe such individuals could be more susceptible to financial inducements and may be gradually pushed into more serious criminal activities.
The concern, however, extends beyond drugs and weapons. Officials fear that recruits initially brought into the network for trafficking or logistics could eventually be exposed to radicalisation or terror-linked operations.
Previous investigations have similarly found Pakistan-based networks allegedly approaching vulnerable young men through Instagram and other online platforms, sometimes starting with small tasks before escalating their involvement.
J-K Police Builds Network Database
The Jammu and Kashmir Police is now stepping up its intelligence and surveillance to map suspected networks linking drug traffickers, arms suppliers, local criminals and digital handlers.
Security personnel are additionally creating a database of individuals and entities believed to be engaged within the distribution of narcotics and related illegal actions. Connections throughout social media and gaming platforms are being evaluated.
The aim is to identify potential recruits and intermediaries at an early stage, before they become more deeply embedded in criminal networks.
The investigation has therefore expanded beyond the physical movement of drugs and weapons along the border. Investigators are also examining the digital side of the alleged network, where social media and online communication can be used to establish contact with potential recruits.
For security agencies, identifying and disrupting these alleged recruitment links early could be crucial to preventing vulnerable young people from progressing from narcotics trafficking into organised crime or potential terror-related activities.