Repeated failure of Jammu police to nab most-wanted drug cartel operator Lahu Gujjar has exposed uncomfortable gaps in enforcement, intelligence coordination and accountability. His latest escape from Bari Brahmana in the wee hours of Sunday, after allegedly breaking a police cordon is not just another missed arrest, it is a serious blow to public confidence. As per media reports, Gujjar managed to flee even as a team moved in to apprehend him, only to be met by pre-positioned supporters who attacked the police party, forcing a retreat, reinforcing the perception that the system is always one step behind him. This raises unavoidable questions- how did such mobilisation occur without advance intelligence and why was the operation undertaken without adequate backup despite Gujjar’s known history of violence?
Gujjar is not a first-time offender slipping through cracks. Police records indicate that he has evaded arrest on multiple occasions, often under suspicious circumstances. More alarming is his involvement in several life threatening assaults’ on on police personnel during previous arrest attempts—sacrifices that make each subsequent failure more painful and unacceptable. At a time when Jammu is battling the twin menace of narcotics and organised crime, allowing a key supplier to repeatedly outmaneuver the police sends a dangerous signal. It emboldens criminal networks, demoralises the force on the ground and undermines the deterrent value of law enforcement. This is no longer merely about one drug supplier. It is about systemic intelligence failure, poor inter-agency coordination and the absence of accountability. Unless these weaknesses are acknowledged and addressed, Jammu risks becoming a safe haven for those who operate above the law at the cost of both public safety and the lives of police officers sworn to protect it.
Drug networks thrive not merely on supply chains but on the perception of impunity. Every escape strengthens that perception. The police force, which has shown commendable results in street-level arrests and seizures and demolition of properties, must now match that effort at the top of the chain. Catching small carriers while repeated escapes of drug cartel operator Lahu Gujjar raise uncomfortable questions about intelligence, planning lapses and accountability. Drug trafficking is destroying an entire generation and allowing a key supplier to remain at large sends a dangerous message. What Jammu needs is not routine damage control but a sharper strategy to deal with kingpin of drugs cartel, airtight operations and zero tolerance for failure.. The fight against drugs cannot afford repeated failures—especially when the stakes involve the future of its youth. Least but not last- the cops who knock on the door of the Samaritans rather than screwing the offenders must be identified and kicked out on long punishment postings.