Shimla: Police crackdown on drug networks; 50 repeat traffickers identified for preventive detention

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 26 (ANI): The Himachal Pradesh government has launched an aggressive state-wide campaign to eradicate chitta (heroin) and other narcotics. Shimla district police have developed a new preventive policing model aimed at choking drug supply chains at the street level.
Under this model, the district police have identified nearly 50 frequent drug traffickers and have forwarded around 25-30 proposals to the state Home Department seeking their preventive detention under the PIT-NDPS Act, 1988.
Superintendent of Police, Shimla district, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, told ANI that the initiative is designed to neutralise habitual offenders who repeatedly come out on bail and exploit legal loopholes to continue drug trafficking, particularly targeting youth.
SP Gandhi said Shimla police have developed a preventive detention-centric model to deal with hardened traffickers who pose a serious threat to society and public safety. "We have identified around 50 such traffickers who are repeatedly involved in drug trafficking activities. They are arrested, released on bail, and exploit legal technicalities. For 25 to 30 such persons, we have moved proposals through proper channels to the Home Department so that preventive detention can be ordered," he said.
Ordinary criminal procedure is often insufficient to deal with such offenders. "The ordinary procedure of law, which ensures the safety of people, is not adequate for such individuals. These people are a danger to society and public safety," he added.
Modern trafficking methods, small-quantity, location-based deliveries pose the biggest challenge. The traffickers were using WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and unknown locations to execute deliveries. "Small quantities--2 grams, 5 grams, 10 grams--are the most fatal and challenging for society and the most difficult for police to detect. One gram is hard to detect, but it is enough for 10 people," he explained.
"Their entire delivery system was online. We identified the money chain, exposed the location-based delivery system, and mapped the extent of their penetration into society through new methods. This is a tough, long-term process, but the government's seriousness and concern will prove effective. The results will be visible," he added.
Shimla police are now actively invoking the PIT-NDPS Act, 1988, which allows preventive detention of habitual drug offenders. "We are activating the PIT-NDPS provisions and keeping a constant watch. The 30 proposals we have sent to the detaining authority will prove effective in mapping and stopping drug trafficking."
Identifying repeat traffickers and proposing preventive detentions will have a strong deterrent effect, and preventive detention is a complex, long-term legal process.
"We have identified more than 50 traffickers who were misusing the law and were directly involved in supply. The outcome of these proposals will be positive, and the impact will be clearly visible," SP said.
The strategy combines street-level intelligence, technological surveillance and preventive detention, marking a significant shift in the fight against heroin and synthetic drugs in the state capital.
"If you look at the drug challenge and the kind of street-level policing we are doing--drug drops, travelling activities and trafficking--2025 has been a successful year for Shimla district police in the fight against drugs, and we have nabbed many gangs and exposed people who were involved in drug supply in a highly organised manner for a long time," Gandhi said.
Major crackdown on organised gangs includes the Sandeep Shah gang, which had allegedly created a network of 300-400 people in the Shimla district.
"This gang was affecting our youth in a very organised way. We conducted a successful investigation and arrested people who had never been arrested before, SP said. The entire mechanism, supply chains, geographical spread, contact lists and delivery systems. Shimla district police registered over 300 NDPS cases this year and took action against more than 600 accused, a significant number.
Police also carried out panchayat-level mapping to identify areas with high heroin prevalence, in line with government directions. (ANI)