Kashmir Police: Beyond anti-terror Ops, real ground policing that saves youth from drugs & dead ends

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Zone Sujit Kumar on Thursday sent a clear message from the Police Control Room in Srinagar: the J&K Police is not only known for effective anti-terror operations; it is equally focused on real, everyday policing that protects Kashmir’s youth from the twin traps of drugs and cyber scams before their futures are destroyed.

In his maiden press conference, the IGP laid out the scale of the fight. Under the NDPS Act this year, police have registered 1,651 cases and arrested 1,941 individuals involved in the drug trade. Officers seized 1,711 kg of contraband and recovered Rs 1.10 crore in cash, including hauls from a recent racket in downtown Srinagar.

Furthermore, properties worth Rs 154 crore belonging to drug peddlers have been attached or forfeited, 567 bank accounts holding Rs 1.71 crore have been frozen, and illicit drug crops across 2,116 kanals of land have been destroyed.

However, the real work, Kumar stressed, goes far beyond seizures and arrests. Police are actively counseling young people, explaining how drugs and anti-social stunts wreck careers, families, and lives. He cited the recent case of a 20-year-old BSc first-year student in Srinagar who was posting stunt videos online. Police brought him in, counselled him, and later encouraged him to use his own social media platform to urge other youths to stay away from stunt biking and addiction.

For those already trapped in substance abuse, the message is one of recovery, not just punishment.

The IGP appealed to struggling youths to come forward, assuring complete protection of their identity and privacy. Free rehabilitation and treatment support are available through dedicated centers, including the one headed by Dr. Muzaffar.

On the cyber front, 12,385 complaints involving financial fraud of over Rs 54 crore were received on the national 1930 helpline portal. Police have already recovered or blocked Rs 7.48 crore, with additional amounts frozen or placed under bank liens.

Ninety-three FIRs have been registered, including seven linked to mule accounts. Kumar warned that cyber networks—often utilizing local youth alongside foreign links—are increasingly targeting senior citizens and vulnerable people, and he urged young individuals to stay clear of mule accounts and fraudulent schemes.

The IGP also flagged everyday dangers on the roads: triple riding, rash driving, modified loud exhausts, and stunt biking that put drivers, pedestrians, the elderly, and patients at risk.

Sujit Kumar’s core appeal was direct: Kashmir’s youth must play a creative and positive role. The J&K Police, working in tandem with the government and society, is determined to make the Valley drug-free and cyber-safe. The force is not only dismantling terror networks and drug cartels; it is actively on the ground working to pull young people back from the brink, protect their futures, and offer a path to recovery when they stumble.