Kangra police arrest three with 17.50g heroin

The police in Kangra district have arrested three people in two separate cases and seized 17.50 grams of heroin (chitta) and Rs 1 lakh in cash, Superintendent of Police Kulbhushan Verma said. The action is part of the crackdown on drug trafficking, with the police having seized assets worth around Rs 6 crore linked to the illegal trade. Approval for asset seizure in three other cases is pending.

In the first case, the Dharamshala police arrested Gaurav Sharma, a resident of Shyam Nagar in Dharamshala, after recovering 7.14 grams of heroin during a search near Yol. Police said they found him moving around under suspicious circumstances.

In the second case, a CIA Kangra team raided a private hotel in Dharamshala following a tip-off. The police recovered 10.36 grams of heroin and Rs 1 lakh in cash from two men identified as Sunil Kumar, a resident of Jalalabad in Fazilka, and Manjeet Singh, a resident of Mundi Kharar in Punjab.

Police said the accused are being produced before the court.

Probe into cash source underway

SP Kulbhushan Verma said the two accused found with the cash could not satisfactorily explain the source of the Rs 1 lakh recovered from the hotel. The police suspect the money may have been earned through the sale of narcotics, and further investigation is underway to establish its source.

Action under PIT-NDPS Act

Verma said the police are taking action under the PIT-NDPS Act against individuals repeatedly found involved in drug trafficking. Financial investigations are also conducted to identify assets allegedly acquired through illegal activities.

When the police identify such assets, they initiate proceedings to freeze them and forward cases to the competent authority under SAFEMA in New Delhi for seizure.

So far, the Kangra police have taken action to seize assets worth around Rs 6 crore, while approval from the competent authority remains pending in three cases.