Shimla – In a major drug bust, police in the Kotkhai area of the Shimla district have arrested three smugglers and seized 54.42 grams of heroin (chitta) from a car. Shockingly, the accused were using a woman and a small child as cover to avoid suspicion during transportation.
Acting on a tip-off, the police set up a blockade on late Tuesday evening at Hulli Bridge and intercepted a white car bearing a Punjab number plate. During the search, the consignment of heroin was recovered from the vehicle.
The arrested accused have been identified as Abhishek Mehra (19), a resident of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand, and Robin Singh (24) along with his wife Shabana (23), both residents of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. A child was also found in the car with them.
According to the police, the presence of the woman and child was a deliberate attempt to disguise the smuggling activity as a family journey, thereby reducing the chances of being stopped and searched.
Initial investigation has revealed that the accused used to bring heroin from Uttar Pradesh and supply it in various parts of Himachal Pradesh. Police are now examining mobile phones, call records, and other digital evidence to uncover links to the wider smuggling network.
All three accused have been brought to Kotkhai Police Station, and a case has been registered under sections 21 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The vehicle used in the crime has also been seized.
This incident is part of Shimla Police’s ongoing crackdown on drug smuggling under “Mission Clean-Bharosa.” Several gangs active in the district have already been exposed under this initiative, and police say that operations will continue with more intensity in the coming days.
