Drug abuse is a menace that is plaguing societies across the world. In India the Kashmir Valley is one of the worst-hit regions because of cross-border drug peddling from Pakistan now the authorities have now launched a massive crackdown. Our correspondent gets you a ground report on the operation.

Kashmir No.2 in India's drug abuse rankings

Today on the 26th of June, a day known as International Day Against Drug Abuse, here is a story about India's one of the worst hit areas the Kashmir valley. Kashmir has been suffering from drug peddling from Pakistan and now the authorities have launched a massive crackdown on drug peddlers in the Union territories. Watch this report to know more.

Jammu & Kashmir government's massive crackdown on drug peddlers

A drug bust in Auckland, New Zealand has led to the arrest of Baltej Singh, a relative of Satwant Singh, one of the assassins who killed&nbsp;former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. The drug bust followed a raid on a property in Manukau, which uncovered substantial amounts of methamphetamine hidden in beer cans. The subsequent investigation led authorities to Baltej Singh, who has been hailed in the local community for his family connection to Satwant Singh.

Satwant Singh and his fellow bodyguard, Beant Singh, had assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star in 1984. Satwant Singh's brother and his family had relocated to New Zealand in the 1980s and were running a small grocery shop in Auckland. However, a sudden increase in their wealth was noticed in recent months. Baltej Singh's father became the proprietor of a real estate firm named Ray White and even purchased a house valued at more than USD 12,218,0 (INR&nbsp;100 crore).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-kiwis-warned-to-avoid-meth-laced-honey-bear-house-beer-cans-578717">New Zealand: Kiwis warned to avoid meth-laced 'Honey Bear House Beer' cans</a>

Baltej Singh is known to be one of the primary masterminds and fund-raisers for anti-India and pro-Khalistan demonstrations organised in New Zealand. Baltej is currently imprisoned and undergoing trial on charges of drug peddling. This incident has once again brought to the fore the criminal background and dubious motivations of pro-Khalistan activists and demonstrators.

In the past few weeks, pro-Khalistani activists have staged protests in countries like the UK, the US and Canada. In the UK, they vandalised the Indian mission in London, a move which was condemned by the British government at the highest level, including by UK PM Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. 
 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

A drug bust in Auckland, New Zealand has led to the arrest of Baltej Singh, a relative of Satwant Singh, one of the assassins who killed former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

A drug bust in Auckland, New Zealand has led to the arrest of Baltej Singh, a relative of Satwant Singh, one of the assassins who killed former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. The drug bust followed a raid on a property in Manukau, which uncovered substantial amounts of methamphetamine hidden in beer cans. The subsequent investigation led authorities to Baltej Singh, who has been hailed in the local community for his family connection to Satwant Singh. Satwant Singh and his fellow bodyguard, Beant Singh, had assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star in 1984. Satwant Singh's brother and his family had relocated to New Zealand in the 1980s and were running a small grocery shop in Auckland. However, a sudden increase in their wealth was noticed in recent months. Baltej Singh's father became the proprietor of a real estate firm named Ray White and even purchased a house valued at more than USD 12,218,0 (INR 100 crore). Also read | New Zealand: Kiwis warned to avoid meth-laced 'Honey Bear House Beer' cans Baltej Singh is known to be one of the primary masterminds and fund-raisers for anti-India and pro-Khalistan demonstrations organised in New Zealand. Baltej is currently imprisoned and undergoing trial on charges of drug peddling. This incident has once again brought to the fore the criminal background and dubious motivations of pro-Khalistan activists and demonstrators. In the past few weeks, pro-Khalistani activists have staged protests in countries like the UK, the US and Canada. In the UK, they vandalised the Indian mission in London, a move which was condemned by the British government at the highest level, including by UK PM Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Relative of Indira Gandhi’s killer arrested in New Zealand for drug peddling

In April, a man in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province set his family home on fire before iftar, the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, causing a gory drug-induced killing that gripped the nation's media. His family lost four members in the shooting.

According to local newspapers, police claimed he was under the influence of shabu, a methamphetamine. Recent reports in Saudi media have raised concerns about the rise in drug use. One columnist there called the shipments of drugs into the kingdom "an open war against us, more dangerous than any other war."

As reported by CNN, over 47 million amphetamine pills were discovered concealed in a shipment of flour and discovered in a warehouse on Wednesday, Saudi police claimed the largest drug bust in their nation's history.

According to experts, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/report-saudi-arabia-expected-to-be-the-worlds-fastest-growing-economy-by-2022-gdp-to-rise-by-75-512729">Saudi Arabia</a> is increasingly playing the role of the Middle East's drug capital, fueling demand and emerging as the main destination for traffickers from Syria and Lebanon, as evidenced by the record-breaking seizure. They claim that the kingdom is one of the biggest and wealthiest regional destinations for drugs, and that situation is only getting worse.

The General Directorate of Narcotics Control claims that in terms of the quantity of drugs seized, Wednesday's operation represented the largest single smuggling attempt. The United Nations Office on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-approves-worlds-first-inhaled-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use-513111">Drugs</a> and Crime (UNODC) has previously stated that "reports of amphetamine seizures from countries in the Middle East continue to refer predominantly to tablets bearing the Captagon logo," despite the fact that authorities failed to identify the drug they seized or the source.

Originally known as Captagon, this medication contained the artificial stimulant fenethylline. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Medications and Drug Addiction, counterfeit drugs with the name "Captagon" are frequently found in the Middle East even though they are no longer produced officially.

Drug busts in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the area have increased over time. 320 kilogrammes of amphetamine tablets and over 3,000 kilogrammes of hashish worth millions of dollars were taken from a fishing boat in the Gulf of Oman by a US Coast Guard vessel earlier this week.

Although it first gained popularity in the kingdom about 15 years ago, it has grown significantly in the last five years, "perhaps reaching the level of cannabis," according to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, who has written on the topic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/opec-agrees-to-cut-production-for-first-time-in-a-year-after-oil-price-slump-513187">OPEC to cut production by 100,000 barrels per day after oil price slump</a>

According to data from the International Addiction Review journal, the street value of captagon, if it was the same substance, could be up to $1.1 billion. The drug may be purchased for between $10 and $25 per pill.

After the government started issuing licences to private businesses, a number of drug rehabilitation facilities have appeared throughout the kingdom in recent years.

According to the CEO of Qaweem, one of the first such facilities to launch, Khalid Al Mashari, four or five such facilities have opened in the previous two years. That proves that the government understands the value of rehabilitation, he claims, but it also demonstrates that the issue is getting worse.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

In April, a man in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province set his family home on fire before iftar, the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, causing a gory drug-induced killing that gripped the nation's media.

In April, a man in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province set his family home on fire before iftar, the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, causing a gory drug-induced killing that gripped the nation's media. His family lost four members in the shooting. According to local newspapers, police claimed he was under the influence of shabu, a methamphetamine. Recent reports in Saudi media have raised concerns about the rise in drug use. One columnist there called the shipments of drugs into the kingdom "an open war against us, more dangerous than any other war." As reported by CNN, over 47 million amphetamine pills were discovered concealed in a shipment of flour and discovered in a warehouse on Wednesday, Saudi police claimed the largest drug bust in their nation's history. According to experts, Saudi Arabia is increasingly playing the role of the Middle East's drug capital, fueling demand and emerging as the main destination for traffickers from Syria and Lebanon, as evidenced by the record-breaking seizure. They claim that the kingdom is one of the biggest and wealthiest regional destinations for drugs, and that situation is only getting worse. The General Directorate of Narcotics Control claims that in terms of the quantity of drugs seized, Wednesday's operation represented the largest single smuggling attempt. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has previously stated that "reports of amphetamine seizures from countries in the Middle East continue to refer predominantly to tablets bearing the Captagon logo," despite the fact that authorities failed to identify the drug they seized or the source. Originally known as Captagon, this medication contained the artificial stimulant fenethylline. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Medications and Drug Addiction, counterfeit drugs with the name "Captagon" are frequently found in the Middle East even though they are no longer produced officially. Drug busts in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the area have increased over time. 320 kilogrammes of amphetamine tablets and over 3,000 kilogrammes of hashish worth millions of dollars were taken from a fishing boat in the Gulf of Oman by a US Coast Guard vessel earlier this week. Although it first gained popularity in the kingdom about 15 years ago, it has grown significantly in the last five years, "perhaps reaching the level of cannabis," according to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, who has written on the topic. Also read | OPEC to cut production by 100,000 barrels per day after oil price slump According to data from the International Addiction Review journal, the street value of captagon, if it was the same substance, could be up to $1.1 billion. The drug may be purchased for between $10 and $25 per pill. After the government started issuing licences to private businesses, a number of drug rehabilitation facilities have appeared throughout the kingdom in recent years. According to the CEO of Qaweem, one of the first such facilities to launch, Khalid Al Mashari, four or five such facilities have opened in the previous two years. That proves that the government understands the value of rehabilitation, he claims, but it also demonstrates that the issue is getting worse. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Is Saudi Arabia becoming the drug capital of the Middle East?

Customs Air Intelligence officials seized MDMA drug pills and crystals worth 9500USD or Rs. 7lakhs. The contraband had arrived at the Foreign Post Office in the city from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. 
 
The drugs had come in three different parcels, which were taken up for examination by the officials as they were suspected to contain banned narcotic substances.&nbsp;

The first parcel, which was from Netherton, UK was consigned to an Ooty-based person.On scrutiny, it was found to contain a Kids Jewelry toy box and color pencils, which had a pouch containing 15 grey skull-shaped MDMA pills “MYBRAND” and 7 grams of MDMA crystal powder.

The second parcel, which had arrived from the Netherlands contained 50 green grenade &amp; 50 purple skull MDMA Pills. The parcel was addressed to a Nammakal-based.

100 MDMA pills with marking ‘Tesla’ were recovered from the third parcel which arrived from Netherlands and was addressed to a Chennai resident.

“This is the first time that we are seizing pills and crystals concealed in a toy box. However the other parcels were not camouflaged and the drugs were kept in packets” Rajan Chaudhary, Commissioner, Customs told WION.

Total 215 MDMA pills and 7 grams of MDMA crystals valued at Rs. 7 lakhs or 9500 USD were recovered and seized under the NDPS Act, 1985. Follow up searches were carried out and further investigation is in progress.

Customs Air Intelligence officials seized MDMA drug pills and crystals worth 9500USD or Rs. 7lakhs. The contraband had arrived at the Foreign Post Office in the city from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Customs Air Intelligence officials seized MDMA drug pills and crystals worth 9500USD or Rs. 7lakhs. The contraband had arrived at the Foreign Post Office in the city from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The drugs had come in three different parcels, which were taken up for examination by the officials as they were suspected to contain banned narcotic substances. The first parcel, which was from Netherton, UK was consigned to an Ooty-based person.On scrutiny, it was found to contain a Kids Jewelry toy box and color pencils, which had a pouch containing 15 grey skull-shaped MDMA pills “MYBRAND” and 7 grams of MDMA crystal powder. The second parcel, which had arrived from the Netherlands contained 50 green grenade & 50 purple skull MDMA Pills. The parcel was addressed to a Nammakal-based. 100 MDMA pills with marking ‘Tesla’ were recovered from the third parcel which arrived from Netherlands and was addressed to a Chennai resident. “This is the first time that we are seizing pills and crystals concealed in a toy box. However the other parcels were not camouflaged and the drugs were kept in packets” Rajan Chaudhary, Commissioner, Customs told WION. Total 215 MDMA pills and 7 grams of MDMA crystals valued at Rs. 7 lakhs or 9500 USD were recovered and seized under the NDPS Act, 1985. Follow up searches were carried out and further investigation is in progress.

Drugs from the UK, hidden in kids’ toys box seized by customs in Chennai

drug-peddling

Drug Peddling, News on Drug Peddling, stories on Drug Peddling, articles on Drug Peddling, Drug Peddling stories at Wion, Drug Peddling news, Drug Peddling latest news