Kullu: Police here today arrested a shopkeeper with about 20 kgs of contraband charas that is valued at about Rs 20 million (Rs 20 crore) in the international market.
Shalini Agnihotri, district police chief told Hill Post that after a tip off, “we formed a special investigation unit and a surprise raid was conducted by head constable Vijay Kumar’s team on Friday on a shop at Bah, Majahan Village in Sainj valley.
The police recovered 20 Kgs charas which was hidden cleverly among grocery items kept for sale in the shop, she said.
Chunni Lal, aged 58 years, a resident of Majahan village of Sainj valley, who was running the shop has been arrested. A case under ND&PS act has been registered against the accused in police station Bhunter. He would be produced in court soon,” said Shalini.
”Police is investigating the case to find out more details from the arrested person and his links with the drug mafia. Possibility on involvement of an international drug dealers is not being ruled out,” the police officer said.
Drug dealers would be severely dealt with, warned Shalini who in her short tenure here has cracked down heavily on drug mafia.
Kullu valley is globally notorious for contraband charas cultivation. One kilogram of charas from some regions of Parvati valley is said to fetch as much as Rs 100 thousand (Rs 1 lakh) in the Indian drug market but scales up ten times to about Rs 1 million (Rs 10 Lakh) per kg in the international market.
A theater artist, a script writer and a TV anchor, news is something that grips Renuka. She lives in Kullu.
