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In a major crackdown on the financial network of narcotics trafficking, Shimla Police have seized illegal movable and immovable assets worth Rs 2.28 crore in two separate NDPS cases following detailed financial investigations, officials said on Thursday.
The action is part of the district police's strategy to dismantle the economic infrastructure of drug trafficking by targeting properties allegedly acquired from proceeds of crime, in addition to prosecuting those involved in narcotics offences. In the first case, an FIR was registered at Kotkhai Police Station on September 19, 2024, under Sections 21, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act and Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police conducted a financial investigation against 17 accused. According to police, the investigation found that proceeds from drug trafficking had allegedly been used to acquire 16 vehicles, two residential flats in Solan, and one residential house, with a combined estimated value of Rs 2.05 crore. Police said the assets were disproportionate to the accused persons' known lawful sources of income and were seized in accordance with the law. In the second case, an FIR was registered at Baluganj (West) Police Station after police recovered 8 grams of heroin (chitta) from the possession of accused Rishabh Kumar near Tara Devi Road on National Highway-05 on April 21, 2026. A second accused, Badal alias Titla, was arrested on April 25 under Section 29 of the NDPS Act. A subsequent financial investigation revealed that Rishabh Kumar had allegedly purchased a plot of land at Bharoi in Shimla district and a car using proceeds generated through drug trafficking. The seized assets, valued at Rs 23.23 lakh, were found to be disproportionate to the accused's legitimate income. With these seizures, Shimla Police have confiscated alleged illegal assets worth about Rs 2.28 crore in the two cases. Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Mehar Panwar said the district police are focusing not only on arresting drug traffickers but also on dismantling the financial networks that sustain the illegal trade. "Our objective is to ensure that crime does not pay. Along with prosecuting those involved in drug trafficking, we are identifying and seizing properties acquired from the proceeds of narcotics offences. By targeting the economic gains of traffickers, we aim to break the financial backbone of the drug trade," Panwar said. Police said that during 2026, financial investigations have so far led to the seizure of alleged illegal assets worth Rs 4.11 crore in six NDPS cases involving 24 accused, describing it as the highest value of property seized by any district police unit in Himachal Pradesh this year. Shimla Police reiterated that it would continue to identify and attach properties allegedly acquired through narcotics trafficking to weaken the financial ecosystem supporting the illegal drug trade. (ANI)
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