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Online drug smuggling network busted, kingpin among 11 held
The arrested were identified as Sandeep Shah, 38, from Kolkata and Neeraj Kashyap, 24, from Delhi and Shubham Shandil, 30, Sandeep Dhiman, 38, Sanjay Verma, 32, Prajwal Jasta, 24, Nitin Khepan, 26, Vishal Mehta, 32, Abhinav Kanwar, 23, Ashish, 29 and Sachin Stan, 30, who were arrested from Shimla and nearby areas
Police busted an online drug smuggling network with the arrest of mastermind Sandeep Shah from West Bengal along with his 10 gang members.
The arrested were identified as Sandeep Shah, 38, from Kolkata and Neeraj Kashyap, 24, from Delhi and Shubham Shandil, 30, Sandeep Dhiman, 38, Sanjay Verma, 32, Prajwal Jasta, 24, Nitin Khepan, 26, Vishal Mehta, 32, Abhinav Kanwar, 23, Ashish, 29 and Sachin Stan, 30, who were arrested from Shimla and nearby areas.
The arrests were made after two persons--Rohit Pandey and Suraj--were held as part of ongoing investigations into a case registered on August 14, 2024. Both the arrested are residents of South Delhi and were nabbed from a Himachal Hotel near the old bus stand in Shimla. During the operation, 6.38 grams of heroin was seized.
“The investigation team utilised advanced cyber investigation tools to identify and arrest the kingpin of the drug supply chain in Kolkata on January 16, 2025, and he was airlifted from Kolkata. He had been living under different name to evade detection,” said Shimla superintendent of police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, while sharing details on Monday. Police said that the accused was operating the interstate gang through his main associate Neeraj Kashyap from Mehrauli, South Delhi.
“This gang used to take orders for chitta/heroin online and supply it at different places. Its payment was received through UPI, scanner and other online means. About 200 people are involved in this network,” said the superintendent of police.
Gandhi said, “Police were constantly receiving complaints against this gang. The main leader of this gang, Sandeep Shah, was involved in illegal drug activities for about 4 years and was running a drug nexus in the entire district. Sandeep, with the help of local drug peddlers, recruited addicts and students to smuggle and distribute chitta in Shimla”.
Modus operandi
The gang communicated with each other using social media platforms. Sandeep coordinated the deliveries by sending location details using these platforms.
Police investigations further revealed that Sandeep used addicts and students as couriers to pick up heroin and distribute it across different geo-locations. The couriers would send Sandeep photos and videos of the drop locations as proof of delivery. He was responsible for handling all financial transactions online, ensuring that his couriers only managed the drugs while he remained behind the scenes.
“A significant supply chain has been operating with the aid of online bookings through various social media platforms indicating a well-organised syndicate. Investigations uncovered substantial financial activity, revealing transactions exceeding ₹1.2 crore in the accounts of Sandeep and Neeraj Kashyap, with additional accounts yet to be explored,” said Gandhi.
“As of now, 21 accounts associated with 17 individuals have been frozen, totalling several lakhs. Numerous UPI transactions have been traced from Shimla-based peddlers to the accounts of Shah and Kashyap”, he added.
