Shimla: Having penetrating the heavily guarded Jammu-Chamba border, a 1.4 Kg consignment of Afghani heroin found its way into Himachal and was intercepted at Dreadda in Chamba district, last week, while on its way to drug traffickers around Mukerian-Damtal on the Punjab-Himachal border, say senior police officials.
Sitaram Mardi, IG Law and Order told My Himachal News, “to date it happens to be the largest heroin catch in the state.â€
The narcotic contraband is estimated to be valued at Rs 1.5 crore in the international market.
What’s has alarmed the police is that the five persons caught with the consignment during interrogation are reported to have disclosed that this was the second consignment which they were attempting to deliver.
A 1.5 Kg consignment is said to have been delivered earlier by the people arrested with the second consignment.
“We have not been able to establish the supply chain yet as accused Dinu Hussain, a resident of the Jammu-Chamba border area, who is believed to have sold this consignment is still at large,†said Mardi.
“What the police have been able to establish is that the heroin packs have Afghanistan and other markings in Urdu written on them,†said the senior police official.
Of the five persons arrested three are from Jammu & Kashmir and two from Damtal area of Kangra.
The catch was made during a routine night checking of vehicles Bhanikhet – Chamba road. The team headed by Chandershekar Pandit, SP Chamba had stumbled upon the contraband in a Mauriti van and all the five, including the driver were taken into custody on 15th November.
Media reports claim that that in all a deal had been struck for a 10 Kg delivery which was to be transported over a period of time.
After a sample of the narcotic had been approved by drug peddlers, the first consignment had been delivered and the second one was being moved.
A brother of Dinu Hussain is said to be serving with the state police forces in Chamba.
However, the policeman brother is reported to have disassociated himself with the activities of Hussain.
OC Thakur, IG Crime told this correspondent that such a large catch of heroin in Himachal is a first of its kind case.
“We usually make catches of Charas that is locally grown in many parts of Chamba, Mandi, Kullu and Shimla,†said Thakur.
With militants from Jammu & Kashmir known to have used the highlands of Doda and bordering Chamba as hideouts, a battalion of HP Police and half a battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) consisting of about 1000 police personnel in total, man the Jammu-Chamba border round the year.
And they have been doing so for the past ten years, say police officials.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
