Himachal: Shimla Police busts inter-state drug networks, arrest key suppliers from Chandigarh, Amritsar

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 16 : Shimla Police on Saturday intensified its crackdown against narcotics trafficking, dismantling several inter-state drug supply networks and arresting key suppliers from Chandigarh and Punjab as part of an extensive anti-drug campaign, a senior police officer said on Saturday.

Addressing reporters here and later speaking to ANI, Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek said the district police had significantly strengthened investigations under the NDPS Act by focusing on "backward linkages" to trace the main suppliers and operators behind drug trafficking networks.

According to police, a case under Sections 21 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, was registered at Dhalli Police Station on May 13, after police recovered around 11 grams of heroin, commonly known as "chitta", from two accused.

The accused were identified as Nikhil Thakur, a practising advocate from the Chhota Shimla area, and Sulabh Thapa, a resident of Tutikandi in Shimla district.

During further investigation, police analysed digital evidence, interrogated the accused and examined financial transactions to identify the supplier of the narcotics consignment. Investigators subsequently traced the supply chain to Chandigarh-based accused Akash, a resident of Ram Darbar Industrial Area.

Police teams from Dhalli Police Station arrested the accused from Chandigarh on May 15, the SP said.

In another case registered at Rampur Police Station on May 9 under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act, police had arrested three persons after recovering around nine grams of heroin along with used disposable syringes.

The accused in the case were identified as Rohit Chauhan and Tushar Verma, both residents of Rampur in Shimla district, along with Praveen Kumar of Bilaspur district.

Police said a detailed investigation into the supply chain, including analysis of mobile phones and financial transactions, revealed that the narcotics consignment had allegedly been supplied by Amritsar-based accused Amandeep Singh.

Acting on the leads, a team from Kumarsain Police Station arrested Amandeep Singh from Amritsar on May 15.

Additional SP Abhishek said Shimla Police had adopted a more comprehensive investigation strategy in NDPS cases during 2026, leading to major breakthroughs against organised drug trafficking networks operating across multiple states.

"Our focus is no longer limited to street-level peddlers. Through detailed investigation, digital analysis and backward linkages, we are identifying the main suppliers and network operators behind narcotics trafficking," Abhishek told reporters.

He said police had arrested 37 accused this year through backward linkage investigations, nearly seven times higher than the corresponding figure last year.

"In 2026 alone, Shimla Police has dismantled 29 inter-state narcotics networks operating across states, including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. These operations have helped weaken the supply chain of narcotic substances and will act as a deterrent against future trafficking activities," he added.

He said the intensified crackdown has substantially disrupted narcotics supply channels and reaffirmed that strict action against drug trafficking would continue across the Shimla district.

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