Heroin smuggling from Punjab tightens grip on Chamba as police crack down on rising drug menace

CHAMBA: The growing menace of heroin smuggling from Punjab is tightening its grip on Himachal Pradesh’s (HP) remote hill districts, with Chamba emerging as a new hotspot for narcotics distribution.In a recent breakthrough, Chamba police arrested two brothers from Amritsar who were allegedly supplying heroin (also known as chitta) in the Dalhousie region, even as there is a lack of data to ascertain the gravity of the situation. The suspects, identified as Arjander and Pawan , residents of Amritsar, were apprehended during a patrol operation near Dalhousie. Police recovered a substantial quantity of chitta from their possession, suspected to be intended for local sale.

Investigators are now probing how much heroin the duo may have already sold in the area and mapping their network of suppliers and buyers.Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chamba, Abhishek Yadav, confirmed the arrests and raised alarm over the growing trend of drug smuggling from border areas of Punjab—particularly from Amritsar and Pathankot—into Chamba district. “There has been a noticeable increase in narcotics-related cases in recent months,” SSP Yadav said addign that police were actively pursuing every lead and taking strict action against those involved in the smuggling and distribution of heroin and other substances.

Yadav said police had laid naka at Punjab-HP border at Tanu Hatti. Despite these efforts, traffickers continue to exploit forested routes and slip past the checkpoints. According to police sources, heroin is often brought across the border in small, concealed quantities via taxis, motorcycles by drug smuggles who pose as tourists or businessmen supplying commodities in Chamba district and often travel either single or in group of two.Keshav Verma, President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, HP, expressed grave concern over the escalating crisis. “The Chamba-Punjab border has become a notorious route for heroin smuggling, particularly from Amritsar,” Verma said. “Families are desperate. Parents come to us for help begging the police to take their addicted children into custody just to keep them away from drugs.”Verma also urged the district administration to publish official data on drug addiction cases in the region. “We need a transparent baseline to form a targeted strategy and ensure effective enforcement at the borders.”Dr Neeraj, Head of Department of Psychiatry, Chamba Medical Colleges, confirmed that in the recent past, the number of drug addict patients coming for treatment has increased. “Drug addiction is slowly on the rise in Chamba,” he said.