In a major crackdown on interstate drug trafficking networks, Shimla police have arrested two main drug suppliers from Punjab involved in two different drug trafficking networks.

The accused have been identified as Sahil Sharma, a resident of Ludhiana, Punjab, and Sukhdeep Singh, alias Jais Gill, a resident of Amritsar, Punjab.

Addressing a press conference, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shimla (City), Mehar Panwar said that the district police, on July 15, had arrested Punjab residents identified as Dimple Singh, Ankit Kumar and Akash with 21 grams of chitta (heroin) in Shimla, after which a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, was registered against them and an investigation was initiated.

She said that during the investigation, police interrogated the accused and also analysed their digital data, including Call Detail Records (CDR) and digital financial transactions.

“The investigation revealed that they had purchased the contraband from Sahil Sharma. Furthermore, they found that Akash was in contact with Sahil and he had recently transferred Rs 3,000 to Sahil’s bank account and had paid another amount in cash. Based on this evidence, a police team was sent to Ludhiana from where Sahil was arrested from his residence.

The ASP also stated that another case was registered under the NDPS Act in Chirgaon area in Shimla district on July 20, after Maninder Singh, a resident of Amritsar, Punjab was arrested with 16 g heroin.

“During interrogation, the accused revealed that he had purchased the contraband from Sukhdeep Singh, the main supplier, after which a police team was sent to Amritsar from where they arrested Sukhdeep,” she said.