A road accident in the Balh area of Mandi district has led to the exposure of an alleged drug smuggling racket, with police arresting two persons and recovering 57.79 grams of ‘Chitta’ (heroin) and 3.81 grams of opium from their vehicle.
The accused have been identified as Yashpal (30), a resident of Balh, and Shabnam (23), a resident of Dharampur. A case has been registered against them under Sections 18, 21, 25 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to police, the breakthrough came after a road accident took place in the Balh area on Monday evening. Locals who reached the spot suspected that the driver and the woman accompanying him were under the influence of drugs. Suspecting the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, they alerted the police.
A team from Balh police station reached the scene and carried out a search of the vehicle as per legal procedures. During the search, police recovered 57.79 grams of ‘Chitta’ and 3.81 grams of opium. Officials also seized other suspicious items allegedly used for drug consumption.
The two accused were arrested and are being questioned to ascertain the source of the narcotics and uncover the procurement and supply network linked to the contraband.
Police officials said the accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to police custody for further interrogation.
DSP (Headquarters) Dinesh said legal proceedings under the NDPS Act were underway, and efforts were being made to identify others involved in the alleged drug trade.
