Heroin used to lure Kashmir youth into violence

Srinagar, Jul 20: While it is a known fact that the drugs have always been part of terrorism and extremist activities, it has now emerged that heroin and steroids are being used to lure youngsters in Kashmir into stone-pelting.

Anti-national and separatist elements are luring youth to take up stone pelting against security forces using Afghan heroin and steroids, official sources said on Thursday, Jul 29.

The narcotic angle in the unrest in the valley surfaced when state police interrogated some of the local youth. According to sources arrested youngsters have confessed to addiction to drugs, which was provided to them by a local supplier in return for their participation in stone pelting and protests.

Police quickly acted on these revelations and conducted operations on some of the localities. One peddler Shezad from Khanyar in the downtown area was arrested.

The peddler has told the police that he was getting heroin from a resident of Natipora, in the outskirts of the city.

Besides heroin and steroids, cigarettes loaded with charas and other drugs are being supplied to the youth, a police officier said. The drugs are supplied free of cost in return of stone-pelting services.

In a separate raid, police seized hundreds of disposable syringes and vials of heroins, steroids and analgesic injections.

This revelation has not only brought to light the ugly face of protests in Kashmir but has also raised concerns on youngsters becoming easily vulnerable to drug abuse.

OneIndia News