4 drug peddlers arrested in J-K

Srinagar: Four alleged drug peddlers, including a village head, were arrested in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said.

Officers from Police Station Budgam at a checkpoint established at Dedina signalled a vehicle to stop but the driver tried to flee, a police spokesman said.

However, the vehicle was intercepted and three persons on board were detained for questioning and during the search, police recovered nearly four grams of heroin and 350 tablets of Alprazolam from the vehicle, he said.

All three persons, Shahid Ali Rather, Shuja Abbas Malik and Barkat Ali were arrested and booked under relevant sections of law, the spokesman said.

Malik is also a village sarpanch in Budgam district, he said.

Moreover, an absconding drug peddler — Mohammad Rafiq Rather — was also arrested. He was evading arrest in an NDPS Act case.