Kangra Police has achieved a major breakthrough in its ongoing anti-drug campaign by arresting seven alleged drug peddlers, including two minors, in separate operations across the district. The police recovered more than one kilogram of charas (cannabis resin) and 154.51 grams of heroin, locally known as “chitta”, besides seizing two Alto cars and a motorcycle allegedly used for trafficking.
Addressing the media in Dharamshala, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kulbhushan Verma said the coordinated operations were carried out by the CIA team along with local police in the Palampur, Dharamshala and Baijnath police station areas. The operations dealt a significant blow to an inter-district drug trafficking network.
According to the SP, preliminary investigation revealed that the charas was being smuggled from Mandi district, while the heroin was sourced from Punjab for distribution in Kangra district.
The biggest success came in Dharamshala, where police arrested the alleged kingpin, Sandeep Kumar, along with a minor from Punjab, and recovered 154.51 grams of heroin from their possession. The SP said Sandeep Kumar was the principal supplier of heroin in the Dharamshala and Palampur areas.
In Palampur, police conducted two separate operations. In the first, Yoginder Kumar, a resident of Mandi district, was arrested with 1.029 kg of charas, and an Alto car was seized. In the second case, Dheeraj Kumar, a resident of Chamba district, was apprehended with 114 grams of charas and a motorcycle.
In another operation, Baijnath police arrested Anil Minhas, Shivansh and a minor, all residents of Kangra district, and recovered 269 grams of charas from their possession.
Cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act have been registered against all the accused, and further investigation is underway to trace the forward and backward links of the drug trafficking network.
SP Kulbhushan Verma reiterated that Kangra Police is following a zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and would continue to intensify its crackdown to curb the menace. He urged the youth to stay away from drugs and appealed to the public to promptly inform the police about any drug-related or suspicious activities in their localities so that timely action can be taken.
Loading ...
