Major drug bust in Shimla: Police freeze assets worth Rs 2.09 crore

Shimla Police seized and froze illegal assets worth Rs 2.09 crore in a major crackdown on an interstate drug trafficking network. The action is part of a larger financial investigation targeting the narcotics trade, with key operators arrested.

In a major crackdown on an interstate drug trafficking network, Shimla Police has identified, seized and freezed illegal assets worth around Rs 2.09 crore, allegedly acquired through drug trafficking, as part of an intensified financial investigation into the narcotics trade. Additional SP, Shimla City, Mehar Panwar said the police action marked a shift from merely recovering drugs and arresting traffickers to targeting the financial infrastructure and illegal assets created through the narcotics trade.

The Investigation and Arrests

The case originated on June 20, 2026, when the Shimla Police Special Cell, acting on a specific intelligence input, raided a homestay at Kanlog and arrested Gopal Kumar, a resident of Bathinda, with around 16 grams of heroin, commonly known as chitta. During the investigation, police established the backward link of the consignment and arrested Gurvachan alias Guru, also a Bathinda resident, from Mohali. Police said approximately 162 grams of heroin/chitta was recovered from him during the search.

Further scientific, technical and human-intelligence-based investigation allegedly established the involvement of Deepak Kumar alias Karni Brar of Bathinda, who was identified by investigators as the alleged key operator of the drug network. Shimla Police subsequently conducted a joint operation in Bathinda and arrested Deepak Kumar alias Karni Brar.

Profile of the Main Accused

According to police, Brar has a previous criminal record. He was allegedly booked in an FIR dated June 12, 2023, under Sections 21-B/61/85 of the NDPS Act at Canal Colony Police Station, Bathinda, in a case involving around 100 grams of narcotics. He was also named in an FIR dated February 15, 2018, under Sections 354 and 354-D of the Indian Penal Code at Thermal Police Station, Bathinda, and an FIR dated January 21, 2022, under Section 188 of the IPC at Civil Lines Police Station, Bathinda.

Financial Crackdown on Drug Assets

During the financial investigation, police found that transactions exceeding Rs 50 lakh had taken place in Brar's bank account over a period of just six months. Police then initiated a detailed financial probe under the provisions of the NDPS Act to trace assets allegedly acquired from the proceeds of drug trafficking.

Investigators identified illegal properties and other assets linked to Brar and his associates, with an estimated total value of Rs 2.09 crore, which have now been seized or frozen as per applicable legal provisions.

The assets include several luxury and high-value vehicles, including a Toyota Fortuner, a Ford Endeavour, a Tata Safari, a Hyundai Verna, a Maruti Suzuki Swift and a Volkswagen Jetta. The action also covers two commercial properties identified as S-4 Sports Club and S-4 Car Wash Centre, besides a residential house and bank balances.

A Shift in Anti-Drug Strategy

Mehar Panwar, Additional SP, Shimla City, said the financial investigation was aimed at dismantling the economic foundation of organised drug trafficking and ensuring that those involved in the narcotics trade cannot use their illegal proceeds to build assets.

With the latest action, Shimla Police said it has so far seized or frozen illegal assets worth approximately ₹6.38 crore belonging to drug traffickers and suppliers during 2026. Police said the figure was zero in both 2025 and 2024, when no comparable financial action against drug traffickers had been undertaken at the district level.

According to Police, the latest action is not only its largest financial crackdown against drug traffickers so far in 2026, but also the biggest seizure/freezing of assets linked to drug trafficking carried out by any district police in Himachal Pradesh this year.

The police said it would continue to target organised drug trafficking networks, their principal operators, suppliers and the illegal assets allegedly generated through the narcotics trade, with financial investigations being made an integral part of its anti-drug strategy. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)