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Shimla Police has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking by targeting illegal properties and unauthorised constructions allegedly linked to drug traffickers, extending its action beyond arrests and drug seizures to dismantling the financial infrastructure supporting the narcotics trade.
In a major action under the ongoing anti-chitta campaign, police and the Public Works Department (PWD) demolished five illegal shops worth lakhs of rupees and took possession of a store constructed on government land near Lambakhatal along the Chidgaon-Rohru road. The action was carried out on Tuesday in connection with a drug trafficking case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Kotkhai Police Station. During the investigation and subsequent review of the case, police identified unauthorised shops and a store constructed on PWD land. Following verification, police and the PWD initiated action in accordance with the law, demolishing the five shops and taking control of the store. Shimla Police said the initiative was aimed at eliminating illegal structures and potential locations allegedly being used to facilitate drug trafficking, thereby dismantling the infrastructure supporting the illicit trade. In a similar action earlier, on October 8, police demolished an illegal restaurant belonging to a drug trafficker in the Rohru area using a bulldozer. The latest action marks the second demolition of illegal properties linked to drug traffickers in Shimla district within eight months. Police said this was the first time such action had been undertaken in the district as part of a comprehensive strategy to target the proceeds of drug trafficking and illegal assets associated with the narcotics trade. Since February, Shimla Police has strengthened its efforts to identify and verify properties and constructions suspected to have been acquired through drug trafficking or linked to the illegal business. As part of the exercise, police have conducted 940 property verifications, identifying 58 suspected illegal properties for further examination and action. The verification process is aimed at establishing the nature of the properties, their ownership and their possible links with drug trafficking activities. Shimla Police said its strategy was to move beyond conventional enforcement measures, including arrests and seizures, and target the principal suppliers, financial networks, illegal assets and locations associated with the drug trade. The campaign also involves financial investigations to identify properties allegedly acquired through proceeds of drug trafficking and initiate proceedings for their seizure or confiscation under the applicable legal provisions. Police said investigations were being conducted to establish backward linkages in drug trafficking cases, identify major suppliers and trace the financial transactions and assets connected with the illegal business. The department said the objective was to ensure effective and quality recovery of narcotic substances, identify the supply chain through backwards-linkage investigations and take action against properties allegedly acquired through drug trafficking. Shimla Police reiterated that action against the illegal network would continue, with the focus on dismantling every aspect of the narcotics trade, including its financial resources, supply chains and infrastructure. (ANI)
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