Will hunt down Kashmir drug smugglers even in 'paataal': L-G Sinha

📌 Summary:

• J&K Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha said police would hunt down drug smugglers "even in paataal (hell)", asserting that narcotics are not only destroying youth but also financing terrorism in the Union Territory

• He explicitly described the narco-terror nexus: drug profits arm terror outfits, fuel radicalisation, and "finance the killing of innocent citizens" — every drug deal both wrecks a young life and funds violence

• He was speaking at Pulwama ahead of a padayatra under the Nasha Mukti Abhiyan (launched April 11, 2026) — a "war on drugs" mobilising civil society; nearly 25,000 people, including youth, women, clerics and academics, attended

• Enforcement data since April 11: over 800 smugglers/peddlers arrested; passport-cancellation recommended for 18 traffickers; 382 driving licences and 386 vehicle registrations cancelled; 49 properties seized and 45 demolished; of 5,045 drug stores inspected, 225 licences suspended, 27 cancelled

• The administration is building a comprehensive rehabilitation framework offering healthcare and job opportunities for drug-abuse victims; nearly 3.93 lakh awareness programmes have been held

• Significantly, the demolition drive drew criticism over due process; Sinha said any wrongful action against innocents would be inquired into if reported to the IG Kashmir

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — internal security in J&K, the narco-terrorism nexus and terror financing, and balancing aggressive enforcement (including demolitions) with due process and rehabilitation.

🔑 Key Term: Narco-terrorism — the convergence of drug trafficking and terrorism, where proceeds from the narcotics trade are used to fund, arm and sustain terrorist and radicalisation networks.