Himachal Pradesh police today seized 337 gram of heroin, valued at Rs 1 crore in the international markets ahead of Christmas and New Year-eve celebrations.
The police also arrested two persons, both from Ambala in Haryana, who were reportedly supplying the contraband in the districts of Kullu, Mandi and Bilaspur regularly.
Superintendent of police (SP), Mandi Shalini Agnihotri, told Outlook that this was perhaps the biggest haul so far recovered by the police in Mandi district.
The accused, including the driver of Alto car without numberplates, were travelling towards Mandi when the vehicle was stopped for checking near Nagchala on the national highway around 7am on Monday.
“The police officials got suspicious as the car was without a numberplate and also being driven rashly,” she said.
The person inside the car and driver panicked and started behaving strangely at the police interception, which made the police officials more suspicious.
The police officials called an official from the nearby HPSEB (electricity) office as a witness and searched the vehicle recovering 337 gm of heroin from the driver’s possession.
The preliminary inquiries done by the police have found that the accused have been supplying big shipments of heroin/chitta and other forms of the drugs along National Highway 21 in the districts of Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu.
“The financial aspects of the case are also under investigation, besides finding the source of the drugs and entire supply chain apart from the delivery points. This could lead the police to a major drug racket in the state,” said SP, who earlier had also served in Kullu – a district infamous for the supply of high-end “Malana cream” and other forms of the illegal drugs.
Director-general of police Sanjay Kundu said since September 1, the police have seized approximately 512gm heroin and 10kg charas under a single police station, Balh, at Mandi.
“Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has applauded the police officials involved in the operation,” he said.
The team members included inspector Kamlesh, head constable Nek Ram, constable Subhash, Vivek and Mahinder and Himachal home guard Kapil.
The police sources said the consignment was heading for Manali to meet the demand for Christmas and New Year-eve parties, being planned in advance despite the state government having already extended the night curfew upto January 5, 2021.
The hoteliers and restaurant owners have been lobbying strongly for relaxing the curfew and other restrictions to allow the business at least for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Currently, the government doesn’t allow gathering of more than 50 people, a condition that has drastically brought down the number of fresh Covid cases in the state during the past 10 days.
In Kullu, the police foiled a moonlight party and DJ near Kasol --- Kullu’s most happening place for the foreigners, two days back where more than 150 guests had gathered around 1.15am when the police party raided a restaurant.
Superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said three persons, including the organizer, have been arrested.The participants in the event also included foreigners.
“This was a clear violation of the Covid-19 guidelines as no such permission was taken or even could have been granted for a gathering of 100-150 people at one place,” said Singh.
The rave parties, moonlight parties or DJ parties are very popular in the Manikaran valley of Kullu district where the drugs are openly consumed. Most of these parties are held in villages where the police can’t usually reach during the late night hours.
