How “Kabaris” Became Drug Lords: Almora Bust Unveils Dirty Underbelly of Scrap Trade in Hill Towns.. Bring all Kabaris under Lens.
DEHRADUN/SHIMLA: In a dramatic breakthrough under the “Drug-Free Devbhoomi” campaign, the Saltt Police of Almora district today seized 34.145 kg of ganja worth ₹8.5 lakh from a seemingly harmless scrap (kabadi) vehicle.
Two traffickers were caught red-handed, exposing a murky network where scrap dealers double up as drug carriers—a chilling new front in Uttarakhand’s war against narcotics.
SSP Almora Devendra Pincha, who led the operation, lauded the police team with a ₹5,000 reward, but the bust has done more than nab small-time peddlers—it has ripped the lid off a growing menace hidden in plain sight.
Kabari Shops: The New Face of Drug Cartels?
What looks like a pile of rusted metal and discarded plastic could hide a shady empire of narcotics, reveal sources.
These so-called kabari centres, once limited to recycling scrap, have allegedly become perfect covers for inter-state drug syndicates, reveal sources.
Sources in the intelligence network confirm that many kabari depots in Shimla, Mandi, Solan-Baddi, Kullu Manali and Dharamshala have come radar for moving illegal consignments—weed, charas, even synthetic drugs—under the garb of scrap transport.
“Once a junkyard, could now be potentially a drug yard as Almora example has shown,” said an officer requesting anonymity.
“They have vehicles, storage sheds, no real scrutiny—and a perfect excuse for odd hours and long hauls. It’s the ideal front.”
Time to Crack Down on Kabari Syndicates
The anti-drug activists are now demanding urgent and thorough screening of all kabari units in sensitive hill towns.
These scrap centres, embedded in crowded market lanes and outskirts of towns, are allegedly moving narcotics every month with little accountability and inder the nose of the police.
"Operation Saltt has brought the spotlight where it’s needed. Now it’s time to scan every kabari shop from Shimla to Baddi. No more hiding behind junk,” said a local whistleblower.
NDPS Act Must Bite Harder
Activists argue that merely seizing drugs is not enough. The NDPS Act must be wielded strongly against the owners, financiers, and network handlers behind these kabari and other shady business units.
If not, the scrap trade could silently become the artery of drug trafficking in the hills, right under the nose of the administration, say the locals.
#DrugFreeDevbhoomi campaign, once seen as symbolic, now seems more crucial than ever.
If Uttarakhand and Himachal truly want to reclaim their sacred soil, cracking down on alleged kabari drug syndicates is non-negotiable.
