Synthetic drugs threaten Kullu

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, February 19

The Kullu police last week nabbed a Nigerian national Oke Chikku Matthew with 1,550 grams of heroin from Delhi who was supplying drugs in this region. The police had earlier nabbed a drug peddler, Praveen from Odisha, with 15 gram of heroin in Kasol area of Manikaran valley of this district. Praveen had informed about Matthew during interrogation.

Sources revealed that availability of various synthetic drugs like heroin, smack, cocaine, MDM and LSD was on the rise in the Kullu valley. While the police had arrested various persons and made big seizures in the past years, the menace of drug trafficking had not abated.

Many foreigners from Israel, Italy, France and Germany visit Manikaran valley and Manali as the areas had gained notoriety for easy availability of charas.

Kullu SP Padam Chand claimed that the police had seized charas, besides other contrabands and nabbed many accused, including foreigners, in various incidents in different parts of this district.

He said the police was investigating various aspects to unfold the involvement of drug mafia and curb the menace.

The SP said a special investigation team headed by Kullu ASP Nishchint Singh Negi had been constituted to investigate the matter. He said most of the synthetic drugs come from other countries. He added that police would conduct a thorough investigation to trace the drug racket.