Awantipora Police, Agriculture Deptt Foil Saffron Corm Smuggling Bid, Apprehend Four

Pampore, Aug 13: Awantipora Police, in coordination with the Agriculture Department Zone Pampore, seized 1.5 quintals of saffron corms from a Jammu-bound vehicle at Toll Plaza Kachkote on Wednesday that was being smuggled out illegally.

Acting on specific intelligence about illegal transport of saffron corms outside the Union Territory, officials intercepted a Swift vehicle (JK02DG-5090) and recovered the corms. Four persons were apprehended on the spot: Ashok Kumar (Sonipat, Haryana), Prem Singh (Delhi), Gulzar Ahmad Khan (Seer Mattan), and driver Ahmad Din Choudhary (Gujar Nagar, Jammu).

The seized corms were handed over to the Agriculture Department for further action. The Department reiterated that movement of saffron corms outside the UT without permission is strictly prohibited under the Saffron Act, 2007, and the Seed Act, 1966, to safeguard Kashmir’s unique saffron heritage.

Agriculture Extension Officer Pampore, Ishtiyaq Ahmad Bhat, said that awareness drives and strict enforcement measures have been in place since the 2023 blanket ban on saffron corm export. He added that the operation today was based on credible inputs and involved coordinated efforts between police and agriculture officials.

Further investigation into the incident is underway to trace the source and network behind the illegal trade.