Shimla: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, police in the Rohru area of Shimla district have dismantled an organised interstate network involved in the supply of ‘Chitta’ (heroin) and arrested its main supplier from Uttar Pradesh.
The breakthrough came after the arrest of two local youth earlier in the case. Acting on specific intelligence on March 26, a police team conducted a raid at a shop in the Gudru locality of Rohru. It recovered 53.13 grams of heroin from Pinku Ram (36), a resident of Kanevra, and Sunil Puharta (24), a resident of Sharauntha. Both accused were immediately arrested, and a case was registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act.
Police said the case turned significant during further investigation, as interrogation of the arrested youth led to crucial leads. Using technical analysis, including Call Detail Records (CDRs), bank transaction scrutiny, and sustained questioning, investigators traced the entire supply chain of the narcotics.
The investigation revealed that the Chitta being circulated in Rohru was part of a larger, organised interstate network. The supply chain led investigators to Uttar Pradesh, where the main accused, Salman Haider, was identified and subsequently arrested in Bijnor district.
Police officials said Salman Haider had previously worked as a mechanic in the Rohru market. During his time there, he developed contacts and gradually established a network to supply Chitta into the region, linking local peddlers with interstate sources.
SSP Shimla Gaurav Singh termed the operation a significant breakthrough achieved through “backtracking” or “backward linkages,” where the entire network was exposed by following the trail from local arrest to the main supplier.
The accused has been taken into custody and is being produced before the court. Police indicated that further investigation is underway to identify additional links in the network and dismantle the remaining structure of the drug racket.
