Action Follows Major Breakthrough in Himachal’s Fight Against Drug Syndicates
Shimla: In a significant breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, the district police have dismantled the notorious Ranjan gang, which had been smuggling chitta (heroin) into the Kotkhai region for the past four to five years. Police arrested six members of the gang on Monday, following an investigation into suspicious financial transactions linked to the gang’s kingpin, Ranjan Sharma.
The gang, which operated by smuggling drugs from Punjab and distributing them to local youth, came under police radar after the arrest of Ranjan Sharma, along with two key associates, Suman Sahi and Kamal Acharya, on September 13. The investigation revealed a long-running operation that had facilitated the spread of addiction in the Kotkhai area.
Bank Transactions Uncover Drug Syndicate
The breakthrough came after police delved into the financial transactions between the gang members. Scrutinizing bank records, police found a staggering Rs 70 lakh in transactions between Ranjan Sharma and the gang members, which led investigators to uncover the larger network. The arrested individuals are believed to have been instrumental in the smuggling and distribution of drugs in the region.
The six newly arrested members of the Ranjan gang include:
- Vikas Dutta (38), resident of Gujandali village, Tikkar
- Lokendra Kanwar (39), resident of Karali village, Kotkhai
- Sachin Chauhan (31), resident of Kupadinala village, Kotkhai
- Kapil Sawant (38), resident of Jaltahar village, Kotkhai
- Pramod Khimta (40), resident of Adarshnagar village, Kotkhai
- Abhilash (31), resident of Nahraik village, Sahdoli
DSP Theog, Siddharth Sharma, confirmed the arrest of these six individuals, adding that three key figures, including the kingpin, were already in custody. “We have successfully captured the main figures behind this drug syndicate, and further investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest more individuals involved in the network,” said Sharma.
This latest action comes on the heels of earlier operations that exposed the Shahi Mahatma and Radhe gangs, both of which were involved in chitta smuggling in the Rampur, Rohru, and Jubbal areas. The police have already arrested several members of those gangs, including their leaders, and have hinted that more arrests are imminent.
The Ranjan gang’s arrest marks a continued effort by the Himachal Pradesh police to crack down on drug trafficking networks operating within the state. The investigation into the gang’s activities is expected to lead to more arrests in the coming days, as the police intensify their efforts to rid the region of drug syndicates.
