Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Drug Smuggler's Makeover Fails as Multi-State Manhunt Ends in Arrest
Aqib Bashir was accused of carrying heroin and escaped from police custody in Jammu.
He tried to look different by shaving his beard and changing his clothes.
He hid in several places and traveled toward Punjab at night.
Police found clues near a forested area in Narwal.
Investigators then followed information about his movements through Pathankot.
He stayed in Jalandhar with help from contacts.
Police caught him before he could allegedly escape to Delhi or another state.
Authorities say he is an important link in a larger drug network.
Aqib Bashir, a suspected drug trafficker, escaped from Narcotics Control Bureau custody in Jammu.
He shaved his beard, changed clothes and hid in secluded locations to evade investigators.
Investigators tracked his movements from Jammu through Pathankot to Jalandhar, Punjab.
The Narcotics Control Bureau, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Punjab Police jointly re-arrested him in Jalandhar.
The arrest followed a month-long crackdown that seized 6.92 kilograms of heroin and led to six arrests.
- Who
- Aqib Bashir, the suspected drug trafficker, was re-arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Punjab Police.
- What
- A three-day, multi-state manhunt ended with Bashir’s re-arrest after he escaped from custody.
- When
- Bashir was originally arrested on September 3; the article does not specify the date of his re-arrest.
- Where
- He was re-arrested in Jalandhar, Punjab, after traveling from Jammu through Pathankot.
- Why
- He allegedly changed his appearance and moved between locations to evade authorities and possibly flee to Delhi or another state.
- Suspect
- Aqib Bashir
- Original arrest
- September 3, after heroin was recovered at Samba New Bus Stand
- Re-arrest location
- Jalandhar, Punjab
- Agencies involved
- Narcotics Control Bureau, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Punjab Police
- Manhunt duration
- Three days
- Crackdown seizures
- 6.92 kilograms of heroin in four operations
- Crackdown arrests
- Six accused arrested
- Estimated international value
- Rs 35-48 crore