Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Anti Narcotics Task Force in Leh has arrested a hairdresser after recovering 13.13 grams of a heroin like substance from his possession, in an operation carried out on the basis of specific intelligence inputs. The arrested man has been identified as Jaskreet Singh, son of Dharmender Singh, a resident of Ludhiana who was working at a well known salon in Leh at the time of his arrest.
Officials said the recovery was made during a search conducted in the presence of a First Class Magistrate, a procedural safeguard intended to ensure the seizure withstands legal scrutiny. The task force said all requisite legal procedures were followed before and after the arrest, and that the operation formed part of a wider effort to check the flow of narcotics into the Ladakh region.
Preliminary investigation has indicated that Singh was allegedly involved in supplying narcotic substances to vulnerable youth across Ladakh, a claim that, if established through further inquiry, would point to a longer running supply chain rather than an isolated instance of possession. Following the recovery, an FIR bearing number 15 of 2026 has been registered at the ANTF police station in Leh under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The case adds to a string of narcotics related arrests reported from Ladakh in recent years, a trend that has alarmed local residents and prompted repeated calls for stronger enforcement in a region whose remoteness and tourist inflows have made it vulnerable to small scale trafficking networks. Officials in Leh have periodically flagged concerns that narcotics are being routed through personnel employed in the service and hospitality sector, given their regular contact with a transient population and relative ease of movement across the union territory.
Investigators said the probe is now focused on tracing the source of the recovered substance and identifying any other individuals who may have been involved in its supply and onward distribution. Authorities have not indicated whether the case is linked to any larger trafficking network operating in the region, and further details are expected once the investigation progresses. The ANTF has urged residents to report suspicious activity to help curb the spread of narcotics among young people in Ladakh.
