Shimla Police on Monday said they have traced, seized and provisionally frozen illegal assets worth ₹2.09 crore in a probe into an interstate drug trafficking network, part of an effort to hit the financial backbone of narcotics operations rather than only recover consignments and make arrests.
Investigation, raids and arrests
Additional SP, Shimla City, Mehar Panwar said the probe began after a raid on June 20, 2026, when the Shimla Police Special Cell acted on specific intelligence and arrested Gopal Kumar, a resident of Bathinda, at a homestay in Kanlog with about 16 grams of heroin (commonly referred to as chitta).
Further enquiries uncovered the backward link of the consignment. Police arrested Gurvachan alias Guru, another Bathinda resident, from Mohali; searches at his location yielded approximately 162 grams of heroin. Continued scientific, technical and human-intelligence work led investigators to identify Deepak Kumar alias Karni Brar of Bathinda as the alleged key operator of the network, and he was arrested during a joint operation in Bathinda, the Additional SP said.
Financial disruption of the network
Police said the action to identify and freeze assets worth ₹2.09 crore signals a change in tactics: targeting the proceeds and infrastructure that sustain narcotics trafficking. The assets were described by investigators as illegally acquired through the trafficking operation and have been provisionally frozen while the legal process continues.
"The police action marks a shift from merely recovering drugs and arresting traffickers to targeting the financial infrastructure and illegal assets created through the narcotics trade," Additional SP Mehar Panwar said.
Profile of the alleged key operator
According to police records cited in the investigation, Deepak Kumar alias Karni Brar has a prior criminal history. He was allegedly booked in an FIR dated June 12, 2023, under Sections 21-B/61/85 of the NDPS Act at Canal Colony Police Station, Bathinda, in a case involving around 100 grams of narcotics. He was also named in other FIRs dated February 15, 2018 (Sections 354 and 354-D IPC, Thermal Police Station, Bathinda) and January 21, 2022 (Section 188 IPC, Civil Lines Police Station, Bathinda).
- Initial arrest: Gopal Kumar (Bathinda) — ~16 g heroin recovered at Kanlog homestay (June 20, 2026).
- Follow-up arrest: Gurvachan alias Guru (Bathinda) — ~162 g heroin recovered from Mohali location.
- Key operator arrested: Deepak Kumar alias Karni Brar (Bathinda) — detained in Bathinda; linked to earlier NDPS case of 2023.
Seizures and legal provisions
Police said the seizures and asset-freezing are being pursued through scientific, technical and human-intelligence means and will involve legal action under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and other applicable laws. The identification of proceeds of crime and the freezing of assets aim to strengthen future prosecution and prevent the network from reconstituting its activities.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provisional asset freeze | ₹2.09 crore (identified and frozen) |
| Heroin seized | Approximately 16 g + 162 g recovered during separate arrests |
| Primary arrests | Gopal Kumar; Gurvachan alias Guru; Deepak Kumar alias Karni Brar |
Investigating officers indicated that the case remains active and further legal and forensic steps are being taken to consolidate the financial evidence and trace the network's linkages. The move to freeze assets reflects an increasing emphasis by law enforcement on disrupting revenue streams that enable organised narcotics distribution.
Police have not released details about the exact nature or location of the frozen assets pending completion of legal formalities and court approvals. Further developments, including formal charges and presentation in court, were said to be subject to the ongoing inquiry and forensic reports.
