Jammu IG Tejinder Singh draws red line: Those involved in drug trade no less dangerous than terrorists

Jammu and Kashmir Police will step up action against drugs across the Jammu region. At the same time, it will target the terror ecosystem and work to neutralise remaining militants. Inspector General of Police Tejinder Singh said both campaigns are essential for lasting peace in the Union Territory.

The police will strengthen the security grid and increase action against heroin trafficking, especially heroin coming from Pakistan. Singh also said recruitment into terrorist groups has fallen over the past two years. The police will continue operations against those supporting terrorism, not only those carrying out attacks.

The campaign is intended to improve security while protecting the peace and tranquillity seen in the region over the past three decades. Singh asked residents to support the police by sharing information about drugs through helplines or directly with officers. He also paid tribute to personnel killed in service.

In counterterrorism, the “terror ecosystem” means the network and conditions that help terrorist groups survive and operate. It is broader than the militants who conduct attacks. It may include recruitment, financing, weapons or logistics, communications, concealment, and supporters who make operations possible. The article does not provide a formal definition, so this explanation uses established counterterrorism terminology.

For example, police may seek information about people recruiting young members, arranging movement, supplying equipment, or providing money and shelter. The key mechanism is disruption. Removing these connections can make it harder for a terrorist group to recruit, plan, communicate, or operate, even when individual militants remain.

Singh said upcoming operations would target the terror ecosystem and neutralise remaining terrorists. He also said recruitment has reduced over the past two years. The continuing focus shows that police view the wider support network as important to lasting peace and a stronger security grid.

Heroin trafficking is treated as a security issue because it can threaten society beyond individual drug use. Inspector General Tejinder Singh specifically warned about heroin coming from Pakistan and said people involved in the drug trade are “no less dangerous” than terrorists. The article presents this as a police assessment, not as a detailed explanation of how every trafficking group operates.

A trafficking network can create money, corruption, intimidation, and links between criminal and militant groups. Those connections may weaken communities and complicate counterterrorism. The key mechanism is the movement of illegal drugs and money through organised networks. Such networks can also exploit the same routes, contacts, or concealment methods used by other security threats.

Because of this perceived overlap, Jammu and Kashmir Police plans to intensify its anti-drug campaign and strengthen the security grid. Singh urged people to share information with police. The article does not state that every heroin trafficker funds terrorism, so that broader claim should not be inferred.

The anti-drug campaign is broad in geography and linked to the police’s wider security mission. Jammu and Kashmir Police plans to intensify it across the Jammu region, rather than limiting action to one locality. The force will also strengthen the security grid while continuing operations against the terror ecosystem and remaining militants.

The article gives a clear example of the campaign’s direction: police are focusing on heroin coming from Pakistan and asking residents to share information through helplines or directly with officers. Singh said the campaign is already progressing toward stronger action. Political leaders have also highlighted the drug issue, including Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set 2029 as the target for eliminating the drug menace. The article does not provide a numerical measure of the campaign’s size, such as arrests, seizures, or cases. Its stated scale is therefore regional, with a national-level deadline guiding the effort.

Drug trafficking can harm public health by increasing access to addictive substances, including heroin. It can also bring overdose, dependence, family disruption, and pressure on health services. Illegal markets may increase violence, corruption, and exploitation. These effects are well-established concerns, although the article does not list them individually.

The security mechanism is the money and network created by trafficking. Criminal groups can use profits to expand operations, corrupt officials, or intimidate communities. In some settings, armed groups may draw funding from illegal trade. Trafficking routes can also connect criminal activity with terrorism. The article specifically identifies heroin from Pakistan as dangerous, but it does not prove a direct financing link.

In Jammu, police are responding by intensifying the anti-drug campaign and strengthening the security grid. Singh also urged public reporting through helplines or directly to police. The stated forward goal is stronger action, within a broader effort to protect peace and improve regional security.

According to Tejinder Singh, recruitment into terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir has declined over the past two years. This is presented as a positive change in the security situation. However, the police do not consider the threat finished, because remaining militants and the wider terror ecosystem still require attention.

The police response therefore has two parts. It will continue targeting the networks that support terrorism and will work to neutralise remaining terrorists. It will also strengthen the security grid. This approach reflects a focus on both direct militant activity and the wider conditions that can sustain recruitment.

Singh said efforts would continue to improve peace and tranquillity in the region. He referred to the calm that has prevailed over the past three decades, while acknowledging the need for continued vigilance. The article gives no number for the decline in recruitment, so its scale cannot be measured from the available information.

Heroin is an opioid drug derived from morphine. It can produce intense euphoria and pain relief, but repeated use can change the brain’s reward and stress systems. Dependence may lead to strong cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Addiction can develop when a person continues using despite serious harm. These medical details are established knowledge and are not explained in the article.

Control is difficult because heroin can move through organised illegal networks and reach people secretly. Dependence can keep demand alive, while fear or stigma may stop users and families from seeking help. Traffickers may also adapt routes and methods when enforcement increases. Police action therefore needs information from communities, treatment, and prevention, although the article specifically mentions police reporting rather than treatment programs.

In Jammu, Singh described heroin coming from Pakistan as a major security concern. Police plan to intensify the campaign across the region and strengthen the security grid. The article does not describe addiction rates, health services, or seizure figures, so those details cannot be assessed here.