In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking networks, the Shimla police have seized illegal assets worth Rs 70 lakh in two separate cases. The assets, acquired through proceeds from the drug trade, have been frozen as part of an ongoing financial investigation.
Two Major Cases Uncovered
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Shimla (City), Mehar Panwar, detailed the actions. On February 11, 2025, the district police arrested an individual identified as Sahil with 6 grams of heroin in the Rampur area. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, was registered, and an investigation was initiated.
As the investigation progressed, the police established backward and forward linkages, leading to the arrest of six individuals involved in the network. A detailed financial investigation revealed that the accused had acquired assets worth Rs 32 lakh, including a vehicle, 44.1 grams of gold, and several other items. All these assets have now been frozen.
Second Case Under PIT NDPS Act
In the second case, on April 25, the district police arrested Chetan Chauhan under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PIT NDPS Act). Chauhan is currently lodged in the District Sub-Jail, Kaithu, in Shimla. Following his preventive detention, a financial investigation identified assets worth Rs 38 lakh, including a truck, a car, 74 grams of gold, and other assets, all of which have been frozen.
Yearly Seizures Total Rs 1.83 Crore
ASP Panwar stated that so far this year, the district police have seized assets worth Rs 1.83 crore, whereas no such action had been taken during the previous two years. She added that the police would continue to seize the financial assets of individuals involved in drug trafficking to dismantle their networks.
