---
title: "Drug peddler escapes NCB custody days after arrest in J&K operation"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/drug-peddler-escapes-ncb-custody-jk-emrar
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: Society
published: 2026-09-07T10:00:34.184Z
modified: 2026-09-07T13:00:03.382Z
language: en-IN
---

# Drug peddler escapes NCB custody days after arrest in J&K operation

A suspected drug peddler, Aqib Bashir, escaped from Narcotics Control Bureau custody in Jammu and Kashmir four days after his arrest on September 3. The case is linked to a month-long NCB operation identifying drug routes from Pakistan via Uri and via Punjab.

## Key takeaways

- Aqib Bashir, arrested on Sept 3 in Samba with 522 grams of heroin, escaped custody in the early hours of Sept 7.
- The operation in Jammu division is described as month-long, with identified routes from Pakistan via Uri and indirect routes via Punjab.
- Additional seizures linked to the broader case included 197 grams seized in Ludhiana on Sept 4 and 5.160 kg heroin linked to the Uri route recovered in Jammu on Aug 22.

## What Happened

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested a suspected drug peddler, Aqib Bashir of Kakapora in Pulwama district, on September 3 after 522 grams of heroin were seized from a passenger bus in Samba district. He escaped from NCB custody in the early hours of Monday, prompting security agencies to intensify search and vehicle-check operations across the Jammu region. An alert was issued and searches were conducted at key entry and exit points of Jammu district.

## What Happens Next

Security agencies have deployed search teams at multiple locations to trace Bashir and prevent further evasion.

## Background

The arrest occurred as part of a month-long NCB operation in the Jammu division that allegedly identified two routes used to push heroin into Jammu and Kashmir: a direct route from Pakistan through the Uri sector and an indirect route via Punjab. In a follow-up development, authorities reported a separate seizure in Ludhiana, Punjab, after the Sept 4 operation uncovered 197 grams of heroin connected to the broader case. Earlier, on August 22, authorities claimed a 5.160 kg heroin consignment originated from Pakistan and entered Jammu & Kashmir via the Uri sector, with investigations extending to Leh, where three Baramulla natives were arrested.

## Key Facts

- Aquib Bashir, resident of Kakapora (Pulwama), arrested by NCB on September 3
- Location of arrest: on a Jammu-bound bus in Samba district
- Heroin seized: 522 grams
- Escape from custody occurred in the early hours of Monday, September 7
- Operation described as a month-long NCB push in Jammu division
- Two drug-smuggling routes identified: direct from Pakistan via Uri, indirect via Punjab
- Follow-up seizure in Ludhiana on September 4: 197 grams of heroin
- Earlier August 22: 5.160 kg heroin believed to originate from Pakistan via Uri

## Why It Matters

The case highlights ongoing narcotics trafficking networks into Jammu and Kashmir and raises questions about custody security in high-profile drug cases. It ties into a broader government effort to curb narcotics at the border with Pakistan and within internal routes, which has included public policy measures and law-enforcement campaigns in the region.

---
Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/drug-peddler-escapes-ncb-custody-jk-emrar
Reported from: Multiple Sources