In a major crackdown on the drug mafia, Shimla police have arrested an interstate drug kingpin and his associate from Zirakpur, Punjab.The accused have been identified as Vijay, alias David, alias Bihari (28), a resident of Ambala Cantt, Haryana, and Nitesh Sharma, alias Mike (28), resident of Zirakpur, Punjab.While addressing a press conference, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Shimla, Gaurav Singh, said the arrests came after backward linkages in recently registered cases of chitta seizure in the district.He said recently, five cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were registered in Theog, Kumarsain, Rampur, and Boileauganj, in which several individuals were arrested.He said on February 8, police had arrested two accused in Shimla with 30 gm heroin from a HRTC bus at ISBT Shimla.“During the investigation, we found that the accused had purchased heroin from Vijay in Zirakpur. Similarly, on February 2, four accused were arrested with 11 gm of heroin from Totu, and we found that they had also contacted Vijay and had brought the contraband from him. Similar details were found in other cases registered in Theog, Rampur, and Kumarsain, in which several individuals were arrested with heroin, and it was found that they had procured heroin from Vijay,” he said.“After analyzing physical and technical evidence and confirming his involvement, a police team from PS Theog was sent to Punjab to arrest the accused. By using technical inputs, the team carried out continuous and time-bound efforts through a field operation lasting over 24 hours and successfully nabbed Vijay and his associate from Zirakpur,” said the SSP.Providing information about Vijay, the SSP said he is a notorious drug kingpin who has been supplying heroin in many districts of the state, including Shimla. “Over the past few months, Vijay had supplied heroin to over 70 consumers in Shimla, Theog, Rampur, and Rohru areas. He was also arrested by the police from Theog with 180 g of heroin back in 2023. Vijay has also been accused in multiple criminal cases, which have been registered against him in PS Ambala Cantt and Theog in 2022 and 2023,” said the SSP.He further said the investigation has revealed that the accused had been involved in the trafficking of more than 335 gm of heroin, and around 15 individuals have been arrested so far in this interstate drug trafficking network. SSP said that further links are being established and efforts are underway to completely dismantle this drug trafficking network.“Financial investigation will also be conducted to seize the properties acquired by the accused by using drug money,” he said.