‘Major’ drug supplier’s arrest from Shimla’s Rohru leads to crackdown on 6 peddlers

Shimla police have arrested a drug supplier near the India-Nepal border who was allegedly responsible for supplying heroin across various parts of the district.

The accused has been identified as Vijender Singh, 35, a resident of Sundha Bhonda village in Chirgaon, Shimla.

He was allegedly operating as a key distributor of heroin (chitta) in the Rohru and Chirgaon regions. Police said he procured the contraband from Punjab and ran a well-organised drug supply network.

Addressing a press conference, Shimla ASP Abhishek said, “On February 2, 2026, district police arrested two Punjab residents, Jashandeep Singh and Dharampreet Singh, from Mehandli in Rohru with 83 grams of heroin. An investigation was initiated, during which police analysed their bank account details and digital evidence to trace the supply chain.”

Following the probe, three more alleged peddlers namely Ashish Chauhan (24), Naveen Shitta (31) and Diwan Chand (39), all residents of the Chirgaon region were arrested.

During further investigation, police said it was revealed that Jashandeep had been supplying heroin in several areas of Shimla district, including Rohru and Chirgaon, where Vijender was working as a major distributor. According to police, Vijender would purchase heroin from Jashandeep and sell it through multiple conduits.

“Vijender is a habitual offender. Three cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, were registered against him in 2018, 2019 and 2022,” the ASP added.

To evade arrest, Vijender had allegedly fled to Nepal. A manhunt was launched on February 13. Within 48 hours, a team from Police Station Rohru, with assistance from Uttarakhand and Nepal police, arrested him from Banbasa in Uttarakhand, near the India-Nepal border.

Abhishek said that six persons involved in the network have been arrested so far and further investigation is under way. He added that this year, district police have arrested 94 accused in 48 cases registered under the NDPS Act, 1985.