Shimla’s Drug Syndicate: 62 Arrests, But Ground Zero Need more work to smash organized and non-organized drug sellers, ruining lives  and careers of the youth.

SHIMLA: The Shimla police have cracked down hard on the Shahi Mahatma drug syndicate, arresting 62 individuals so far, but the real battle seems far from over.

Even as the main kingpins  of the ₹7-8 crore racket are behind bars, locals say drugs remain disturbingly easy to access.

If the police win over the confidence and trust of the drug victims, they can reach out to the suppliers and agents to make major inroads into their cartels, say experts. 

The certain Car washing centers, roadside dhabas, and vegetable vendors along the Kufri-Fagu-Theog-Kotkhai-Rohru highway and are said to be hubs for this illegal trade, supplying drugs to their  addict clients, reveal locals. 

Police Busts a Deep Network

The latest breakthrough came with 16 more arrests today under FIR 50/24 of the NDPS Act.

Led by SDPO Theog Siddhartha Sharma and SHOs of Kotkhai and Theog, the operation targeted the syndicate that has plagued the Rohru-Chirgaon belt for years.

Among those arrested are locals, many unemployed youths who acted as carriers or suppliers.

“This syndicate had a deeply entrenched network targeting vulnerable sections of society, especially unemployed youth from affluent families,” said a senior police official.

“We’ve taken down major players, including the kingpin, Shahi Mahatma, but the problem persists.”

Most of these :Neo-suppliers are "young victims" from the apple belt drawn into the  syndicate by the major Kingpins showing them  dreams of making "quick easy big money from contraband trade". 

The police have not shared the details of their assets they minted from the fast buck so far. 

The arrested include:

1. Yashwant Singh (53), Rohru

2. Pradeep Chauhan (25), Rohru

3. Lalit Thakur (29), Rohru

4. Aman Negi (24), Chirgaon

5. Brij Mohan (35), Rohru

6. Ravesh (32), Chirgaon

7. Vijender Rawat (35), Chirgaon

8. Mohit Thakur (25), Chirgaon

9. Prashant Rathor (30), Rohru

10. Sahil Thakur (29), Rohru

11. Hitesh Thakur (27), Rohru

12. Harsh Dhanta (29), Jubbal

13. Sarthak Sood (27), Rohru

14. Kunal Shadru, Rohru

15. Jatin Thakur, Rohru

16. Shreyas Mehta (27), Jubbal

It was on September 18, Himachal Pradesh Anti-Narcotics Task Force has unearthed a massive Chitta smuggling racket, exposing the growing menace of drug trafficking in the region.

Acting on a tip-off, the task force had tracked down Shahi Mahatma, originally from Bijori, Shimla, but currently based in Kargil for the past year.

Operating with his partners, Javid Ahmad Beigh from Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir, and another accomplice, Mudasir Ahmed Mochi from Batpura, Kupwara, this network has been smuggling Chitta into Himachal via Kashmir and Kargil, pushing the highly addictive drug into remote areas as far as   Rohru.

September 18, the task force nabbed Javid Ahmad Beigh near Kothkhai with 468 grams of heroin, smuggled from Kargil's Kareen sector. But the joint operation ultimately nabbed Shahi Mahatma, the mastermind later along his chain 16  smugglers 

This bust has exposed the gaping holes in police’s anti-drug efforts, as major smugglers have been quietly operating under their nose, bringing Chitta from Pakistan to poison the youth of Himachal.

With drug trafficking reaching alarming proportions, questions are mounting on how effective the authorities have really been in addressing this growing menace being run from Pakistan.

Ground Zero 

The arrests highlight the police’s focus on cracking the syndicate’s hierarchy, but locals say the root problem lies yet to be touched.

“The drugs are still flowing,” said a local activist. “These hubs along the highway and in the city are still active. Until there’s a crackdown on these outlets, the arrests will just be a temporary fix.”

The outlets in question—car washing centers, makeshift dhabas, and even vegetable vendors—have reportedly become hotspots for drug sales.

Sources say addicts and small-time peddlers often congregate at these places, buying heroin, hash, and other substances with ease.

The Big Picture

Shimla's drug menace has grown into a full-blown crisis over the past few years, with syndicates like Shahi Mahatma’s thriving in the shadows.

Investigations reveal the gang had been active for 3-4 years, flooding the district with drugs and earning crores.

Police claim this is their most significant operation yet, with multiple arrests across three syndicates. “We’re dismantling the supply chain step by step,” said an officer. “The rehabilitation of victims is also a priority.”

What Needs to Be Done

As the Shahi Mahatma network falls, the next challenge is addressing its offshoots.

Locals are demanding an immediate crackdown on known hotspots and stronger measures to curb the supply in Chopal, Nerwa, Maroag Deot, Jubbal, Kotkhai Theog, Rohru-Chirgaon within city Shimla and suburbs like Sanjauli, Dhalli and Bhatta Kufri and New Shimla mainly. 

“If this is a war on drugs, it has to start at ground zero,” said a resident. “We need action where the drugs are actually being sold. Only then will Shimla see real change.”

For now, the arrests are a victory, but the battle against drugs in Shimla is far from over.