83-kg heroin among seized drugs destroyed across Punjab

Among the destroyed drugs were 10,000-kg poppy husk, 4.5 lakh intoxicating pills and 100-kg ganja related to 626 NDPS cases. DGP Gaurav Yadav urged people to join the fight against drugs by sharing information about smugglers.

The Punjab Police on Wednesday destroyed over 83-kg heroin, 10,000-kg poppy husk, 100-kg ganja, 4.52 lakh intoxicating and habit forming pills and capsules at 10 different locations across the state to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Police officers getting destroyed the seized drugs in Bathinda on Wednesday. (HT photo)

Director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav paid a surprise visit to a drug disposal site — Punjab Chemical and Crop Protection Limited — in Dera Bassi, SAS Nagar, to check the ongoing disposal of drugs belonging to the districts of Kapurthala, SAS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar and all STF ranges.

He was accompanied by Special DGP (special task force) Kuldeep Singh, Rupnagar range’s DIG Nilambari Jagdale and SAS Nagar SSP Sandeep Garg.

While addressing mediapersons, Yadav said the huge quantity of drug consignments pertaining to 626 NDPS cases were being disposed of in a transparent manner by 33 districts and commissionerates and units of Punjab at 10 locations in the state. He also took stock of the ongoing drug disposal and destruction of the remaining districts and units via videconferencing.

Pertinently, the police have disposed of at least 2,700-kg heroin, 3,450-kg opium, 1.77 lakh kg poppy husk, 1.40 crore pills/tablets and 2 lakh injections since the formation of Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government in Punjab. The last such activity was taken up on June 7 throughout the state.

The DGP appealed to the people to stay away from drugs and join the fight of the police against the menace by sharing information about smuggling activities.

He said police officers had categorically been asked to trace the forward and backward linkages of all the cases being registered under the NDPS Act and take strict action against those found colluding with drug smugglers.

The heroin recoveries have jumped 6.83 times (683%) since 2017, according to the police.

Focus on big fish, chief secretary to police

Chairing a meeting of the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD), chief secretary Anurag Verma sought strict compliance to curb the menace of drugs. He asked the special task force (STF) of the police to focus on big drug traffickers. Underlining the need for publicity of section 31 of the NDPS Act, he said it was the need of the hour to publicise the punishment for habitual offenders. Likewise, Verma added that officers should ensure confiscation of property of the drug peddlers.

He also underscored the need for improving the monitoring of chemists, adding that the repeated violators’ licence be cancelled.