Jammu, Sep 5: A drug peddler has been detained under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act and lodged in jail in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday.

The action was taken as part of the ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking and the activities of habitual offenders in the district.

Officials said the preventive detention provisions were invoked to curb the accused’s alleged involvement in illicit drug-related activities and prevent him from continuing such activities.

The PIT-NDPS Act empowers authorities to order preventive detention of persons considered involved in illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Police and other law enforcement agencies have intensified action against drug trafficking networks across Jammu and Kashmir, with preventive detention being used against repeat offenders in cases where authorities consider ordinary criminal proceedings insufficient to prevent further involvement in the illegal trade.

Further details regarding the identity of the detained person and the cases forming the basis of the detention were not immediately available.