CHANDIGARH/SHIMLA, APRIL 14: A coordinated police effort resulted in the arrest of a suspected drug kingpin in Chandigarh this week, effectively dismantling a unique location-based heroin distribution network. Amit Gupta, a resident of Sarai Dhanoli in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, is accused of acting as the main source of chitta for traffickers in the Rohru and Chirgaon belts of Himachal Pradesh.
Gupta allegedly orchestrated a delivery scheme from his base in Lucknow, where he directed the placement of drug stashes at specific locations. Local sellers would then retrieve these hidden quantities to fulfill regional demand. This structure was uncovered after investigators analyzed the supply route following a drug seizure in Rohru last month.
“Investigation into the case established backward linkages pointing to Gupta as the kingpin supplying the drug network in Rohru and Chirgaon through local operatives,” Shimla SSP Gaurav Singh declared. The SSP further noted that the investigation is ongoing to uncover the full extent of the operation.
The trail began on March 15 when a police team in Rohru took 29-year-old Sarthak into custody after finding 9.17 grams of heroin in his possession. Information gathered from that arrest pointed directly to Gupta’s role in the interstate trade. Although the suspect fled his Lucknow residence before Himachal police arrived, law enforcement successfully located him in Chandigarh on April 11.
Following his arrest, Gupta was transported back to the district for legal proceedings. A local court granted the police a remand period ending April 14 to facilitate further interrogation. Authorities maintained that the capture of the primary supplier represents a significant step in disrupting the flow of narcotics into the Shimla hinterland.
