Shimla, Feb 20 (PTI) A suspected key supplier of an alleged interstate narcotics trafficking racket was arrested after absconding for over one-and-a-half years following the arrest of another prime accused linked with the gang, police said on Friday.
The accused — Pradeep Kumar alias Ranta (38), a resident of Bijauri village in Shimla district — was allegedly involved in sale of ‘chitta’ (adulterated heroin) in the district’s Rohru area.
He is said to be one of the key associates of Shahi Mahatma, an alleged kingpin of an interstate drug network, who was arrested in 2024.
Shimla Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Singh said the case traces back to September 19, 2024, when police had arrested Mudassir Ahmed Mochi, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, from the Khadapather area with 468.38 grams of chitta.
“The arrest led to the exposure of an interstate drug network and culminated in the arrest of Shashi Negi alias Shahi Mahatma — an apple grower turned drug kingpin. He was operating a major drug trafficking network in the state including Shimla district for the past few years and Pradeep served as his key supplier,” the SSP said.
“During the investigation, around 57 accused linked to the network, including Shahi Mahatma, were arrested from multiple locations. Ranta had been absconding ever since Mahatma was arrested. However, he was finally nabbed by a special team from Theog subdivision under Kotkhai police station limits on February 19,” he said.
According to police, Mahatma was running his gang in an organised manner and used to add buyers to a WhatsApp group after verifying them through their PAN and Aadhaar. He used to receive money via UPI and used to provide contraband to buyers by placing it at a specified, yet discreet location — below a rock, or behind a tree. His associates would then click a picture of the location and instruct the buyer to collect the contraband. PTI COR ARB ARB
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