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The Shimla Police on Monday froze assets worth nearly Rs 17 lakh allegedly acquired through proceeds of drug trafficking in connection with an NDPS case registered earlier this year, officials said.
According to Shimla Police, the action was taken following a financial investigation conducted under Section 68F of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in connection with an FIR registered at Rohru Police Station on February 2 under Sections 21, 25, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act and Section 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police said the case originated after two Punjab residents, Jashandeep Singh and Dharampreet Singh, were arrested near Mahendli Bridge in Rohru with 83 grams of heroin and Rs 45,000 in cash. The taxi allegedly used to transport the contraband was also seized. During the investigation, police said they established backwards and forward linkages of the drug supply network, leading to the arrest of additional accused and the filing of charge sheets before the competent court. According to the police, the subsequent financial investigation revealed that one of the arrested accused, Shubham Darkal of Chirgaon, had allegedly purchased a luxury vehicle using proceeds generated through drug trafficking. The cash recovered during the investigation was also found to be linked to the illegal narcotics trade. Based on these findings, authorities ordered the freezing and seizure of illegal assets, including the luxury vehicle and cash, collectively valued at around Rs 17 lakh under the provisions of the NDPS Act. Providing the background of the case, Shimla Police said the investigation revealed that Jashandeep Singh allegedly transported heroin from Punjab for distribution in Rohru and Chirgaon. The probe led to the arrest of Ashish Chauhan, Naveen Shitta and Diwan Chand, who were allegedly linked to the distribution network. Police further stated that the alleged local distributor, Vijender Singh alias Chhotu, was arrested near the Banbasa Nepal border. He reportedly has three previous criminal cases registered against him. The investigation later identified Hardeep Singh of Ferozepur, Punjab, as the alleged main supplier. He was arrested with the assistance of Ferozepur Police, and investigators found substantial financial transactions in his bank accounts, police said. Shubham Darkal was subsequently arrested on March 30, 2026. According to police, financial records indicated transactions worth approximately Rs 10 lakh between him and Hardeep Singh. Shimla Police said a total of eight accused, including three from Punjab, have been arrested in the case so far, while financial and digital investigations are continuing to identify and dismantle the entire drug trafficking network. Officials said that with the latest action, Shimla district police have, during 2026, seized illegal properties worth Rs 4.29 crore belonging to 25 accused in seven NDPS cases through financial investigations. According to the police, this is the highest value of property seized by any district police in Himachal Pradesh during the year. Police also noted that no such property seizure based on financial investigation had been carried out in Shimla district during 2024 and 2025. They said the current mission-mode approach aims to dismantle the financial backbone of narcotics trafficking by targeting assets derived from the illegal trade. (ANI)
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