Srinagar, April 29: Authorities in south Kashmir carried out a major demolition drive on Wednesday, razing several properties linked to alleged drug dealers in the Anantnag and Shopian districts. The operation was conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in coordination with the civil administration as part of a 100-day government campaign aimed at eliminating the drug menace across the Union Territory.
In the Sangam area along National Highway 44, officials demolished multiple roadside eateries that were built illegally on state land under Khasra No. 319. These structures were found to be connected to individuals with extensive records under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Among the targeted sites was Kashmir Restaurant, owned by Gul Mohammad Mir and his son Bashir Ahmad Mir, both of whom are named in several drug-related cases at the Bijbehara police station.
The enforcement teams also brought down the Taj Restaurant, owned by Mohammad Maqbool Mir and his sons, following reports of their alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking. A third establishment, Mir Restaurant, belonging to their brother Amma Mir, was similarly destroyed after officials confirmed the structures were erected without proper authorization. Police officials stated that the drive is part of a larger effort to dismantle the financial networks of drug trafficking and reclaim encroached government land used for criminal activities.
A separate operation in the Wachi area of Zainapora in Shopian resulted in the demolition of shops belonging to Abdul Hamid Ganie and Mohammad Ramzan Ganie. Both individuals are accused in active narcotics cases in the district. Authorities affirmed that such actions reinforce the administration’s zero-tolerance policy toward the drug trade. They maintained that the crackdown will continue until the physical and economic infrastructure of the narcotics mafia is completely dismantled.
