16 members of drug trade gang arrested in Shimla dist
In a major crackdown on illicit drug trade, especially chitta (heroin), in the district, the police today arrested as many as 16 members of the Shahi Mahatma gang.
The accused were identified as Yashwant Singh (53), resident of Sharog village in Rohru, Pradeep Chauhan (25), resident of Samala village, Rohru, Lalit Thakur (29), resident of Rohru, Aman Negi (24), resident of Bathava village, Rohru, Brij Mohan (35), resident of Seema village, Rohru, Ravesh (32), resident of Sharoli village, Rohru, Vijender Rawat (35), resident of Bathava village, Rohru, Mohit Thakur (25), resident of Bamvari village, Rohru, Prashant Rathor (30), resident of Noi village, Rohru, Sahil Thakur (29), resident of Khanola village, Rohru, Hitesh Thakur (27), resident of Adhal village, Rohru, Harsh Dhanta (29), resident of Magawta village in Jubbal, Sarthak Sood (27), resident of Samala village, Rohru, Kunal Shadru, resident of Dashalni village, Rohru, Jatin Thakur, resident of Chebri village, Rohru and Shreyas Mehta (27), resident of Patsari village, Jubbal.
Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said the accused had been arrested from various locations by forming backward linkages. He said during the investigation, it was found that they were actively involved in the peddling of illicit drugs and were working for the Shahi Mahatma gang.
“The kingpin Shashi Negi, alias Shahi Mahatma, had already been arrested. He was running an inter-state drug racket which was active in the Rohru-Chirgaon area for the past three to four years and involved in drug money totalling Rs 7 to 8 crore,” said the SP.
He further that “Operation Clean: The Path to a Drug-Free Shimla” was currently on in which the police was aiming to dismantle the gang’s operations and bring all accused to justice. “This initiative follows a specialised “intensive investigation” model where every detail of the drug supply chain and its participants is meticulously examined,” he said.
The Shahi Mahatma gang first came to light when one of its conduits, hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, was detained in September this year with 486 gm of chitta. Further investigations led to the arrest of the kingpin Shahi Negi, alias Shahi Mahatma.
According to the police, Negi had been active in the drug trade for five to six years and had connections with Delhi-based Nigerian drug dealers. He was running the racket in an organised manner and his associates used to verify the buyer before selling the contraband.
