Shimla police arrest six in Rohru drug case; main distributor held at Indo-Nepal border

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 14 (ANI): Shimla Police have arrested six persons in connection with a heroin (chitta) trafficking racket in Rohru and apprehended the alleged main distributor from the Indo-Nepal border, Shimla Additional SP Abhishek said on Saturday.
Speaking to ANI, he said the district police were continuing their comprehensive crackdown against drug traffickers and were working to dismantle the entire supply chain. "The Shimla Police's comprehensive action against drug traffickers is continuing, and we are dismantling the entire supply network step by step," he said.
He said that Rohru Police Station registered FIR No. 5/26 on February 2, after arresting two residents of Punjab, Jashandeep Singh and Dharampreet Singh, near Mehandli Bridge in Rohru with 83 grams of heroin. Following their arrest, police carried out a detailed examination of digital evidence and analysed the bank accounts of the accused to trace the supply chain. The investigation revealed the involvement of several other individuals in the network.
Acting on the leads, Rohru Police arrested three more accused on February 10. The arrested persons were identified as Ashish Chauhan (24), a resident of Khashdhar in Chirgaon; Naveen Shitta (31), a resident of Goksawari in Chirgaon; and Diwan Chand (39), a resident of Sundha in Chirgaon. All three were taken on police remand and are being interrogated.
During further investigation, police found that Jashandeep Singh was supplying heroin in various parts of Shimla district, particularly in Rohru and Chirgaon. His key associate and a major distributor in the Chirgaon region was identified as Vijender Singh Mehta, also known as Chotu. According to police, Vijender used to procure heroin from Jashandeep Singh and distribute it locally with the help of associates, thereby drawing youth into drug abuse.
On February 1, police also revealed that Jashandeep Singh had allegedly brought around 120 grams of heroin from Moga in Punjab to Rohru. Out of this consignment, approximately 37 grams were supplied to Vijender Mehta, who was operating as a principal distributor in the Chirgaon area.
To evade arrest, Vijender Singh Mehta fled the area and reportedly took shelter in Nepal. On February 13, after sustained technical surveillance and investigation, Rohru Police conducted a joint operation with Uttarakhand Police and Nepal Police and arrested him within 48 hours from Banbasa, located along the Indo-Nepal border.
The accused has been identified as Vijender Singh alias Chotu (35), son of Padam Sain, a resident of village Sundha Bhonda in Chirgaon tehsil of Shimla district.
Police records indicate that three cases under the NDPS Act are already registered against him. One case was registered on July 27, 2018, under Section 21 of the NDPS Act at the Chirgaon Police Station, District Shimla. Another case was registered on February 23, 2019, under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act at the same police station. A third case was registered on February 2 under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act at the Rohru Police Station, District Shimla. In these earlier cases, a total of 63 grams of heroin had been recovered from him.
"In this case, six accused have been arrested so far, and the investigation is continuing from every angle. We are identifying the main source of supply and will dismantle the entire network," Abhishek said.
He further stated that, so far this year, Shimla Police have registered 48 NDPS Act cases and arrested 94 accused persons. "We are also conducting financial investigations in parallel in all chitta cases. The illegal assets earned through drug trafficking will be identified and attached as per the law," he added.
Police said the drive against narcotics trafficking would continue with focused efforts to break both the operational chain and the financial backbone of drug networks operating in the district. (ANI)