In one of its biggest drug hauls, Himachal Pradesh Police seize 111kg of charas in Kullu

State DGP Sanjay Kundu says the operation against the drug mafia is underway as part of the police’s stepped up anti-narcotics drive.

In one of the biggest drug hauls in Himachal Pradesh, the Kullu police have seized 111 kg of charas in an operation against the drug mafia.

Charas, called bhang in Himachal, is the resin obtained from a species or strain of the cannabis plant, which grows naturally in the Kullu valley and is also cultivated illegally. (Representational image)

In an official statement issued in Shimla on Thursday, state director general of police Sanjay Kundu said, “This is one of the highest seizures in the history of the state so far. The operation is ongoing and more details will be made available later.”

He said the state police have stepped up its anti-narcotics drive this year and it has yielded results.

Before the latest recovery, the total seizures of charas in the state this year was of 33.2 kg. Of them, four cases were of seizures of more than 2 kg each, while 10 recoveries were of more than 1kg each.

The Himachal Pradesh Police have changed their policy to break organised criminals in the illicit drug trafficking racket rather than pursuing street-level peddlers, Kundu said.

The police are investigating the source and destination of these consignments along with financial investigations so that the properties of the key accused can be impounded, the DGP added.

Charas, called bhang in Himachal, is the resin obtained from a species or strain of the cannabis plant, which grows naturally in the Kullu valley and is also cultivated illegally.