News
Three Arrested with 54.420 Grams of Heroin in Kotkhai, Small Child Used as Shield in Smuggling Plot
Police Crack Down on Heroin Smuggling Syndicate, Three Arrested Including Couple with Child
Shimla, April 9:
In a major drug bust, the Shimla Police arrested three individuals, including a couple, in Kotkhai, revealing a heroin smuggling operation. The police seized 54.420 grams of heroin, commonly referred to as “chitta,” from a car traveling through the region. Disturbingly, a small child was found with the accused, which authorities believe may have been used as a shield to avoid police suspicion during the smuggling operation.
The arrest took place late Tuesday evening at Hulli Bridge in Kotkhai. Acting on a tip-off, Kotkhai police officers, led by station in-charge Ankush Thakur, successfully intercepted a white Ertiga car (registration number PB01E-9829) heading towards Kotkhai. Inside the vehicle were two men and a woman, along with a young child in the woman’s lap. During a search of the car, officers discovered and seized the heroin.
The arrested individuals have been identified as 19-year-old Abhishek Mehra from Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, 24-year-old Robin Singh from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, and his wife, 23-year-old Shabana. The police believe the woman and child may have been used as a decoy to downplay the suspicious nature of the car’s occupants, allowing them to avoid detection.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused were involved in bringing drug consignments from Uttar Pradesh to Himachal Pradesh. Police are now analyzing the suspects’ mobile phones, call details, and other digital evidence to uncover further links within this smuggling network.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Theog, Siddharth Sharma, confirmed on Wednesday that the trio had been taken to Kotkhai Police Station, where a case has been registered under sections 21 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
This arrest is part of Shimla Police’s continued crackdown on chitta smuggling. In recent months, authorities have exposed several gangs operating in the region, including the Shahi Mahatma gang in Rohru, the Ranjan gang in Kotkhai, and the Radhe gang in Rampur, among others. The police are committed to dismantling these drug networks and ensuring the safety of the community.
