Chandigarh: A special NDPS court in Chandigarh has convicted three Himachal Pradesh residents in a 2018 inter-state drug trafficking case involving the seizure of 16.5 kg of charas, handing down up to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment.The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chandigarh zonal unit, had intercepted a Hyundai Verna near the Khuda Lahora bridge on Dec 18, 2018, as contraband was being smuggled across the Himachal Pradesh-Chandigarh border. Two occupants—Joginder Singh of Kullu and Anil Kumar of Mandi—were arrested on the spot with 16.5 kg of charas.Special judge, NDPS court, Chandigarh, sentenced Joginder Singh and Anil Kumar to 12 years’ rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹1 lakh each.Follow-up investigations by the agency identified a third accomplice, Raj Kumar alias Raju, a resident of Bhuntar in Kullu district. NCB officers arrested him on December 20, 2018, and recovered an additional 80 grams of charas from his residence. The court sentenced Raj Kumar to one year’s rigorous imprisonment and imposed a ₹10,000 fine.According to the NCB, the network was involved in supplying charas to major metropolitan hubs, including Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, and Chennai. The intercepted 16.5-kg consignment was routed for Mumbai for onward distribution. The prosecution formally filed its complaint under the NDPS Act on June 12, 2019, leading to the final conviction.
