SBI loan manager held in Shimla heroin syndicate crackdown

Investigation into the inter-state drug network reveals direct financial links between the bank official and the Amritsar-based kingpin

Police on Friday arrested a 33-year-old State Bank of India (SBI) loan manager for his alleged involvement in an inter-state drug trafficking network.

The accused, Tarun Thakur, a resident of Chogtali village in Sirmaur, was posted as a loan manager and field officer at the SBI branch in Rohru. (File)

The accused, Tarun Thakur, a resident of Chogtali village in Sirmaur, was posted as a loan manager and field officer at the SBI branch in Rohru. His arrest follows the establishment of backward linkages during a narcotics investigation that originally began with a case registered in Jubbal on February 10.

Police investigation revealed that Thakur was actively involved in the purchase and sale of chitta (heroin). The police uncovered online financial transactions between Thakur and the syndicate’s primary supplier, Lukas (alias Lucky), a resident of Amritsar, which confirmed the illegal network’s existence.

This is the sixth arrest in the trafficking case.

The crackdown began on February 9, 2026, when a local woman was caught with 13.46 grams of chitta. This was followed by the arrest of the main supplier, Lukas, on March 17. On April 6, three additional accomplices—Ashish (alias Gandhi), Manoj Thakur (alias Sunny), and Khushi Ram (alias Kush)—were taken into custody based on forward linkages.

Shimla superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said that the investigation has exposed a well-organised network involving inter-state suppliers, a local distribution system, and clear financial transaction links.