Jammu, Feb 17:
In a high-stakes operation spanning over 2,000 kilometers, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Jammu has successfully apprehended a notorious drug trafficker who had been evading the law for nearly three years. The arrest of Arif Ibrahim Sayyed from Mumbra, Maharashtra, marks a definitive step in dismantling the “backward linkage” of a major narcotics network supplying illegal substances into the Union Territory.
The Manhunt: From Mumbra to Jammu
The accused, identified as Arif Ibrahim Sayyed, son of Ibrahim Sayyed and resident of Insha Nagar, Mumbra (Thane), was a key figure wanted in FIR No. 09/2023 registered under the NDPS Act (Sections 8/20/29).
Despite a massive manhunt launched by J&K Police in 2023, Sayyed managed to stay off the radar by constantly changing locations across Maharashtra. However, acting on fresh intelligence and “meticulous tracking,” a special ANTF team was dispatched to the Mumbai outskirts last week.
The Operation: 48 Hours of Surveillance
The capture was the result of seamless inter-state coordination:
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The Lead: Reliable informants placed Sayyed in the Mumbra area of Thane.
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The Strike: ANTF Jammu collaborated with the local Mumbra (Thane) NDPS Police Team to set up a dragnet.
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The Arrest: After sustained surveillance, Sayyed was intercepted and arrested on February 14, 2026.
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Legal Process: Following his capture, he was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Thane, where a transit remand was granted to bring him back to Jammu for interrogation.
Unearthing the Supply Chain
Officials state that Sayyed is a crucial “backward link”—the source or supplier who facilitates the flow of narcotics from other states into Jammu and Kashmir.
“This arrest is not just about one individual; it is about cutting off the oxygen to the inter-state narcotics supply chain. We are committed to following every lead, no matter how far it takes us,” a senior ANTF official stated.
With Sayyed now in custody, investigators are looking to unearth:
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Financial Links: How the drug money was being laundered through inter-state channels.
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Local Associates: Identifying the local peddlers in Jammu who were receiving consignments from the Maharashtra syndicate.
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Cross-Border Ties: Probing if the syndicate has any further links to broader narco-terror modules.
The ANTF has reiterated its “zero-tolerance” policy against drug trafficking, urging citizens to continue providing information to help make J&K drug-free.
