23-year-old doctor held for supplying heroin to peddlers in Himachal Pradesh
Dharamsala: In a shocking discovery, the Kangra district police recently busted an inter-state illegal drug supply network and found that a young doctor from Punjab was allegedly operating the racket. The 23-year-old doctor, who is reported to be the mastermind and main supplier of the gang was arrested for his alleged involvement in supplying heroin to peddlers in Himachal Pradesh.
According to the police, this case is considered rare as they have managed to trace the main suppliers of the illegal drug to peddlers operating in Punjab. The doctor, who is presently practising in Moga, Punjab, after graduating from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Chamba, allegedly became involved in these illegal activities.
The case came to light when the police arrested a Nepali citizen on February 14 with six grams of heroin. During interrogation, he disclosed that he had received the narcotic from a rickshaw puller in Moga. Acting on this lead, a police team from Baijnath raided Moga and arrested the rickshaw driver, who in turn revealed that the real supplier was the doctor.
In an attempt to pluck out the gang's roots from Punjab, the police arrested the doctor, the rickshaw puller and the Nepali citizens under section 29 of The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The police are now working to dismantle the entire large network of these drug peddlers, tracing the supply chain and identifying other individuals involved. Further investigation is underway.
A senior police officer told The Tribune, "The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drugs. Authorities and community members emphasise the need for greater awareness and education to combat this menace. The drug trade in Himachal Pradesh is connected to supply chains from Punjab, which shares a long border with the state."
The Himachal Pradesh Government, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has intensified its crackdown on drug traffickers. Increased surveillance and raids have been conducted in Kangra, Shimla, Nurpur, Solan and other districts. However, the drug suppliers remain active in many rural areas, targeting unemployed youth to become drug handlers.
