Shimla police wrapped up a 25-day anti-drug operation by locking up 18 repeat offenders under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1988. All face three-month preventive detention terms aimed at breaking supply chains and halting repeat crimes.

The push began in early February. Officers zeroed in on traffickers with multiple convictions for peddling heroin, known locally as chitta. On February 21, Jubbal police nabbed two of them: Suresh Kumar, alias Pappu, from Shailapani in Badhal, and Rajat Aukta, alias Bunny, from Guntr in old Jubbal. Both landed in Kanda Jail that day.

Suresh Kumar racked up two prior NDPS Act cases, according to police records. In 2022, officers seized 9 grams of heroin from him. The next year, they recovered 13.10 grams more. Rajat Aukta faces even heavier charges across three cases: 6.13 grams, 25.40 grams, and 6.16 grams of heroin, with FIRs filed at Jubbal and Rohru stations from 2019 to 2025.

Authorities say these detentions strike at the heart of organized networks fueling addiction among local youth. ‘We’re enforcing a zero-tolerance stance on narcotics,’ Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh told reporters. He stressed that PIT NDPS detentions keep hardcore peddlers off the streets and out of the trade for key periods.

The operation spanned the district. Police didn’t release a full list of the other 16, but sources confirm all qualified as ‘habitual and organized’ based on past busts. Heroin recoveries linked most to the group, with cases stretching back years.

Singh called the sweep a vital tool for public safety. Repeat players like these rebuild networks fast after normal arrests or bail, officials noted. Locking them away under PIT NDPS buys time to unravel their contacts and suppliers.

District teams plan to keep the pressure on. They urged residents to report tips on drug activity to local stations or helplines. Community input has already fueled several leads, police said.

Himachal Pradesh has seen rising drug seizures in recent years. Shimla’s hills offer cover for smugglers moving contraband from northern borders. This crackdown fits a broader state effort to shield vulnerable areas from trafficking hubs.

Preventive laws like PIT NDPS allow detention without fresh charges. Courts approved all 18 orders after reviewing criminal histories. Detainees can challenge them, but approvals came swiftly given the evidence stacks.