In a major breakthrough, the Shimla police have arrested five more associates of the notorious Shah syndicate, an interstate drug network responsible for trafficking chitta (heroin) across Shimla and northern India. The arrested individuals have been identified as Shekhar Thakur (32), Santosh Kumar (33), Arvind Gupta (32), Abhishek Verma (28), and Manish Thakur (34), all residents of Shimla district.
These individuals, involved as drug peddlers for the Shah syndicate, were apprehended from different locations following a comprehensive police investigation. Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP), Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, confirmed that 45 drug peddlers linked to the network, including three women, have been arrested to date. Authorities are also focusing on identifying more operatives and revoking bail requests for repeat offenders previously booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
This operation follows the arrest of Sandeep Shah, the mastermind behind the syndicate. Shah, a former software engineer, was arrested on January 16 in Kolkata and subsequently airlifted to Shimla. He had been running an extensive drug network for three to four years, operating in areas like Rohru, Kotkhai, Jubbal, and Theog. His associates reportedly targeted youngsters, luring them into the drug trade and turning them into conduits for the syndicate’s operations.
As part of the ongoing investigation, police have identified around 400 individuals connected to the syndicate. Authorities are now intensifying efforts to dismantle the Shah syndicate entirely and curb drug trafficking in the region, which has been a significant concern in the state.
