Shimla police tighten noose around peddlers

Shimla police have arrested 317 drug peddlers and registered 219 NDPS cases in the past four months, with a focus on drug consumers to break the chain. The police analysed a 62% increase in NDPS cases and arrests in Shimla compared to the same period last year. The police have accelerated their "Pradhav: Wipe out drugs" campaign ahead of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June. The police will organise a district-level contest under the campaign on 21 May.

In the past four months, the Shimla police have arrested 317 drug peddlers and registered 219 NDPS cases. It shifted its focus on drug consumers to break the chain as drug users, especially Chitta consumers are turning into peddlers to keep them floating.

The police analysed an increase of over 62% in NDPS cases and arrests in Shimla as compared to the corresponding period last year.

The police analysed an increase of over 62% in NDPS cases and arrests in Shimla as compared to the corresponding period last year. About 90% of the NDPS cases registered were chitta (adulterated heroin) cases.

“At least 317 persons, including 10 women and 72 peddlers from outside the state, have been arrested in 219 cases from January 1 to April 28 in comparison to 116 arrests in 93 cases in the same period last year which constitutes over 30% of the total cases and arrest in the state,” said Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi.

Accelerate campaign against menace

Almost a month before International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (June 26), the Himachal Pradesh police have accelerated their “Pradhav: Wipe out drugs” campaign.

Thereafter, range-level contests will be held in respective ranges. The grand finale of the event will take place on June 26 at Shimla. Three best proposals to tackle the problem statements will be shortlisted and awarded with prize of ₹1.5 lakh, ₹1 lakh and ₹75,000 to motivate the state youth to fight the drug menace and make the state drug-free, said additional director general of police Satwant Atwal Trivedi.

The police launched the Pradhav campaign in collaboration with the state youth to fight against the emerging problem of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in society, especially amongst the younger generation. The campaign was launched in Shimla on February 25 this year.