In a major breakthrough, Himachal Pradesh Anti-Narcotics Task Force has unearthed a massive Chitta smuggling racket, exposing the growing menace of drug trafficking in the region.
The smugglers have become more active as they are targeting richer youths of Himachal amidst peaking apple season in Himachal where money is easy and in abundance these days, revealed experts
The bust has raised serious questions about police's claims of cracking down on drug smugglers in Shimla district.
Acting on a tip-off, the task force 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.
Today on September 18, the task force nabbed Javid Ahmad Beigh near Kothkhai with 450 grams of heroin, smuggled from Kargil's Kareen sector.
Mudasir Ahmed Mochi, 26, hailing from Batpura, Kupwara, has also been identified as a key player in this operation.
Meanwhile, Shahi Mahatma, the mastermind, remains at large and is believed to be hiding in the Pinjore-Zirakpur area.
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.
