Anti-drug drive: 1,572 FIRs registered, 2,364 peddlers held so far: Cheema

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who leads the cabinet sub-committee on the anti-drug initiative, on Sunday said the Aam Aadmi Party’s fight against drugs has started yielding results, marking a significant turning point in the state’s battle against narcotics

Chandigarh : Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who leads the cabinet sub-committee on the anti-drug initiative, on Sunday said the Aam Aadmi Party’s fight against drugs has started yielding results, marking a significant turning point in the state’s battle against narcotics.

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who leads the cabinet sub-committee on the anti-drug initiative, on Sunday said the Aam Aadmi Party’s fight against drugs has started yielding results, marking a significant turning point in the state’s battle against narcotics.

Addressing a press conference here, Cheema said the Punjab Police have registered 1,572 FIRs under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, leading to the arrest of 2,364 drug peddlers and traffickers across the state since the start of the anti-drug drive. He said the campaign has also resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of illegal drugs, including 90kg of heroin, 51kg opium, 1,128kg poppy husk and 13kg of ganja. “Cash amounting to ₹63 lakh, believed to be linked to drug trafficking, has been confiscated, cutting off vital financial lifelines for these networks,” he added.

Slamming previous SAD-BJP and Congress governments for turning a blind eye to drug trafficking, Cheema said the previous regimes were responsible for the present situation, but the present government is committed to eradicating drugs from the state. “In a landmark step, properties worth crores linked to 33 drug traffickers have been demolished. These actions send a strong message to those involved in drug trafficking that their illegal wealth will not go unchallenged,” he said.