Leh, July 13: The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on Monday arrested an aircraft maintenance engineer of a private airline after allegedly recovering heroin from his possession, triggering a wider investigation into a suspected nexus between airport personnel and interstate drug syndicates operating in Ladakh.
The accused, identified as 22-year-old Ajay Thakur, a resident of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, was intercepted while travelling in a private vehicle during routine patrolling in Leh. Officials said ANTF personnel recovered 2.27 grams of heroin from his possession.
An FIR has been registered against Thakur under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the ANTF police station, and further investigation is underway.
Officials said investigators are now focusing on tracing the source of the contraband and examining possible links between airport employees, interstate drug suppliers and local narcotics peddlers. They are probing whether the accused acted alone or was part of a larger network involved in transporting and distributing drugs in Ladakh.
The arrest comes amid intensified anti-drug operations across the Union Territory, with authorities describing it as part of an ongoing crackdown on organised narcotics networks targeting local youth.
According to official data, law enforcement agencies have registered 33 NDPS cases across Ladakh since the beginning of 2026, arrested 27 accused persons and seized significant quantities of narcotic and psychotropic substances, including 3.523 kg of charas, 4.9 kg of ganja, 40.39 grams of heroin, 1.709 kg of brown sugar and 289 milligrams of cocaine.
Leh accounted for the highest number of cases with 13 FIRs and 17 arrests, followed by Kargil, Changthang, Nubra, Zanskar, Drass and the ANTF.
Officials said Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has directed law enforcement agencies to intensify intelligence-based operations against drug trafficking, dismantle interstate supply chains and ensure strict action against those involved. He has also urged parents, educational institutions, religious organisations and civil society groups to support efforts aimed at protecting youth from drug abuse. (Agencies)
