Shimla, Aug 4
In one of the biggest anti-drug operations in Himachal Pradesh this year, Shimla Police have arrested an alleged interstate drug trafficker and seized 1.120 kilograms of high-grade heroin, popularly known as “chitta”, with an estimated international market value of around ₹6 crore.
According to a police spokesperson, the Special Cell of Shimla Police intercepted the accused near the Shoghi barrier on August 3 following a specific intelligence input. The arrested person has been identified as Vijay Kumar (22), son of Darshan Singh, a resident of Narayangarh in Haryana’s Ambala district.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the accused had allegedly brought the heroin consignment from Haryana for delivery to contacts in Shimla. Police said the operation was carried out before the consignment could be handed over, preventing its distribution in the city.
A case has been registered under the NDPS Act and further investigation is in progress to identify other members of the interstate drug network.
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Police said the seizure is the largest heroin recovery reported in Himachal Pradesh so far in 2026. Officials said the district police have shifted their anti-narcotics strategy from registering a large number of cases to targeting major suppliers, dismantling interstate trafficking networks through technical and financial investigations, and invoking the PIT-NDPS Act against habitual offenders.
The latest recovery follows a series of major seizures made by Shimla Police this year. These include the recovery of 562 LSD stamps worth about Rs one crore in March, commercial quantities of heroin seized in March, May and July, and the recovery of nearly 11.5 kg of opium in April, along with the attachment of alleged drug proceeds worth Rs 53 lakh.
According to the police, more than 4 kg of heroin has been seized in Shimla district during 2026, nearly four times the total recovery made over the previous two years. Besides heroin, police have also recovered 14 kg of opium, 15 kg of charas, over 5 kg of poppy husk, methamphetamine, LSD and destroyed more than 10 lakh illegal cannabis plants during the ongoing anti-drug campaign.
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