Himachal Pradesh police arrested eight people in a series of raids across multiple districts as part of its crackdown on the illegal drug trade in the state, officials said on Tuesday.
A total of 42 teams raided 42 locations in Kangra, Nurpur, Chamba, Una, and Bilaspur police districts on Sunday with the aim to dismantle larger trafficking networks, identify key operators, and trace their assets, a statement issued by the police headquarters here said.
Four cases were filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and four more under the Excise Act while eight individuals were apprehended in connection with these cases, it said.
"A total of 5 kg of poppy husk and 25 grams of chitta (heroin) was seized and 57 litres of illicit liquor was confiscated." Three vehicles linked to the narcotics trade were impounded and one suspect's residence was discovered to be built on encroached government land, it added.
A dedicated team is now scrutinising digital devices and other materials seized during the raids to establish both forward and backward linkages, as well as uncover properties owned by the main figures in the illegal trade, the police said.
The findings from mobile forensic analyses will be pursued with heightened focus, it said.
In a broader crackdown on the drug menace and habitual offenders, eight new proposals for Preventive Detention of repeated offenders under the PITNDPS Act have been submitted to the police headquarters in the past 10 days, a significant increase from the three approved till date in the state, the statement added.
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