Blow to drug peddling operations in Kangra

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, June 30

The campaign launched by Kangra police against drug peddlers in the district has yielded results. In the last one month, the police have arrested 65 drug peddlers, including retailers and suppliers, from different parts of the district. The police have also seized 12 kg charas, 10 kg poppy husk, 3 kg heroine and 25,000 psychotropic drug capsules from the arrested peddlers during the campaign.

The special drive has dealt a major blow to drug peddling operations in Kangra that are at its peak during the month of June which is the peak tourist season.

SP Kangra Sanjeev Gandhi, who spearheaded the campaign, said some of drug peddlers arrested have been in this business for the past seceral years. They have also amassed properties. The police will also move to get the properties of drug smugglers attached, he said.

Charas is generally smuggled into Kangra district from Mandi and Kullu districts. Over the past few years there have been reports that charas was also being produced in Bara and the Chota Bhangal tribal area of Kangra district. The demand of charas increases in the peak tourist season in Kangra. The cream of Malana, a brand of charas produced in Kullu district, is very popular among addicts.

Most of the charas peddlers arrested by the Kangra police were operating in McLeodganj and its surrounding areas.

Interestingly, the police have also recovered 25,000 psychotropic drug capsules from the drug peddlers. Generally, chemists were blamed for selling psychotropic drugs to youth. However, a new trend has emerged in which the drug peddlers were smuggling in large amounts of psychotropic drug capsules for sale to the addicts.

Besides carrying out the drive against the drug peddlers, the police have also started an awareness campaign in the entire district to highlight the ills of the menace of drug abuse.