130 smugglers held by Punjab Police; 3kg heroin, 9kg opium seized
Punjab Police arrested 130 drug smugglers in raids at 516 locations, totaling 1,050 arrests in 8 days, as part of a state anti-drug drive.
Punjab Police on Saturday conducted raids at 516 locations and arrested 130 drug smugglers as part of an ongoing anti-drug drive across the state. With more arrests, the number of total drug smugglers arrested during the drive has reached 1,050 in eight days, the police said.
They have also recovered 3.04-kg heroin, 9.3-kg opium, 6,673 intoxicating tablets or injections and ₹5.39 lakh from the possession of arrested smugglers. The operation was conducted on the directions of director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav simultaneously in all districts.
Special DGP Arpit Shukla said over 250 police teams, comprising over 1,700 police personnel, conducted raids across the state and checked 602 suspicious persons during the day-long operation. He said such operations would be continued till the scourge of drugs is eradicated from Punjab.
The police also conducted checking at 672 pharmaceutical shops in six districts — Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala, Patiala Sangrur and SAS Nagar — to ensure that they are not selling intoxicating tablets or any other habit-forming drug.
Aman Arora, Punjab cabinet minister and state president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said the state government nabbed 1,000 drug peddlers and registered around 700 cases across the state as part of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh (war against drugs) drive in eight days.
While talking to mediapersons after holding a meeting with Mohali district authorities wherein he took stock of the action taken over the drug menace, Arora highlighted that over 50-kg heroin, over five-quintal poppy husk, over 30-kg opium and ₹22-lakh drug money had been seized.
He gave a call to all socio-religious institutions, political parties and NGOs to join the drive.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier set a deadline of three months to make the state drug-free. The properties of drug peddlers have been demolished in some areas.
The Punjab government also formed a cabinet sub-committee to monitor action against the drug menace.
