In a significant crackdown on illicit drug trafficking networks, the district police have arrested a Punjab resident with approximately 257 grams of chitta (heroin), making it one of the highest seizures of the contraband by the police this year.The accused has been identified as Resham Singh (34), a resident of Amritsar, Punjab.The action came during an operation carried out by the Special Cell of the district police near Shoghi, about 14 km away fromShimla.During the operation, police stopped a taxi for checking, in which the accused was traveling. During the checking, police found the contraband from his possession after which he was arrested immediately.Addressing a press conference here, Additional Superintendent of Police, Shimla (City), Mehar Panwar said that the police was monitoring the accused for a long time and was making efforts to arrest him.She said when he was on his way to Shimla on Tuesday, he was arrested by the police with a commercial quantity of the drug. He was planning to sell the contraband in Shimla and its surrounding areas.She said that a case under section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 has been registered and further investigation is under way. She said that police are also identifying more individuals who could be associated with this network.Panwar further added that so far this year, the district police have seized about 5.5 kg chitta worth Rs 30 crores.In another case, the district police arrested another key supplier of chitta from Punjab, who was supplying chitta in Shimla. The accused has been identified as Sukhpal Singh (28), a resident of Maniana village in Sangrur.Providing the information, Panwar said that on September 8, police had arrested a person named Ankit, a resident of Deori Khaneti in Kotkhai, Shimla, with 29 grams of chitta.A case was registered and an investigation was initiated.“During the investigation, police examined call records, WhatsApp chats and Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDRs), and found that he was having conversations with Sukhpal, regarding sale and purchase of chitta. Following this, a police team was sent to Punjab from where the accused have been arrested and brought to Shimla,” Panwar stated.