JAMMU, September 8, 2026 – An alleged operative of a trans-border narco-terror module has managed to escape from the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) at its headquarters in Jammu. The daring escape occurred during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, prompting the police and various security agencies to launch a massive, coordinated manhunt across the region to re-arrest the fugitive.
The accused, identified as Aqib Bashir, a resident of the Kakapora area in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, was considered a prized catch by investigators. His escape from the heavily guarded NCB facility in Narwal has raised serious questions about security protocols, with authorities now probing the circumstances that led to the glaring lapse.
1.The Arrest and Seizure:
Aqib Bashir was apprehended by an NCB team on September 3 after they intercepted a passenger bus arriving from Punjab at the New Bus Stand in the Samba district. During the search, officers recovered 522 grams of high-quality heroin from his possession, estimated to be worth over ₹2 crore in the international market. Bashir reportedly operated as a crucial carrier for contraband smuggled into the region.
2.Manhunt and Security Alert:
Following the discovery of his escape late Sunday night, senior officers were immediately alerted. Multiple specialized search teams have been constituted and deployed at various locations across Jammu. The local police have intensified vehicle checks, established rigorous frisking checkpoints (nakas) in and around the city, and placed key entry and exit points along the highway under a high alert to prevent the accused from fleeing the Union Territory.
3.Exposing the Twin-Route Narco Trail:
Bashir’s arrest was a critical component of an intensive, month-long operation conducted by the NCB across the Jammu division. The agency recently stated that the operation successfully exposed a twin-route narco-trail feeding vulnerable clusters in the Jammu-Samba belt. One route originates directly from across the border in Pakistan through the Uri sector in Baramulla, while the second operates indirectly via the Punjab-J&K corridor. The broader crackdown resulted in the seizure of a cumulative 6.920 kg of heroin and the arrest of six individuals.
An internal inquiry is expected to be initiated shortly to ascertain exactly how the accused managed to slip away from the Narwal headquarters and to fix administrative responsibility for the security breach.
Published by True Roots Media Network