Srinagar Police have busted an alleged organised narcotics network involved in the procurement, transportation, storage, distribution and financing of banned pharmaceutical drugs, arresting eight people and seizing over 2.19 lakh tablets and capsules, officials said on Thursday.
The action was taken during the investigation into FIR No. 135/2026 registered at Police Station Safakadal. Police said the network had linkages extending beyond Jammu and Kashmir.Police said eight accused have so far been arrested, including Mohammad Waseem Zargar, Inam Ahmad Zargar, Sahib Ahmad Ganie, Ansar Hussain Bhat, Peer Shakoor, Haroon Tariq Pandit, Aquib Saleem and Haris Hameed Malla. All the accused are from Srinagar, except Ansar Bhat, who is a resident of Budgam.
Malla was traced through technical surveillance and arrested from Bengaluru in Karnataka, police said.
Among the major recoveries are 2,19,425 pharmaceutical tablets and capsules, 3.830 kg of codeine-containing liquid, around 40 grams of a heroin-like substance and approximately Rs 85.75 lakh in cash.
Police also recovered 108 gold coins, gold biscuits and other gold articles valued at crores, besides two Rolex watches, a Dior bag, a DSLR camera, an iPhone 16 Pro Max, a .32-calibre pistol with two empty magazines and a dagger. Two vehicles have also been attached under law.
As part of the financial probe, two bank lockers of Zargar at Axis Bank, Bemina, were searched following court orders, resulting in the recovery of around Rs 65 lakh cash and gold articles valued at approximately Rs 2.20 crore.
Police said multiple bank accounts linked to the accused have been frozen, with around Rs 1.07 crore identified so far. One residential house and two vehicles have also been attached under the NDPS Act.
The investigation into the supply chain led police teams to Chandigarh, Panchkula and Ambala, where pharmaceutical establishments and transport agencies were examined and records collected.
Two other suspects, Faizan Firdous alias Farzan Khanday and Mohammad Shahvar Gaur, are absconding. Digital devices are being analysed and further arrests and recoveries may follow, police said.