E-Paper
Anti-drug drive: 217 smugglers held, 157 FIRs registered across Punjab
Punjab Police on Thursday conducted cordon and search operation (CASO) at identified drug hotspots, the points of sale of drugs and psychotropic substances, and registered 157 first information reports (FIRs) with the arrest of 217 smugglers/peddlers
CHANDIGARH : Punjab Police on Thursday conducted cordon and search operation (CASO) at identified drug hotspots, the points of sale of drugs and psychotropic substances, and registered 157 first information reports (FIRs) with the arrest of 217 smugglers/peddlers.
According to an official release, the operation was conducted at 427 hotspots simultaneously in all 28 police districts on the directions of director general of police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, and special DGP, ADGP, IGP, DIG-rank officers from Punjab Police headquarters, Chandigarh, were deputed in each Police district to personally supervise the operation.
During the day-long operation, the police recovered 7.7kg heroin, 500kg ganja, 10,992 intoxicating tablets/capsules and ₹2.17 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann has asked the commissioners of police, deputy commissioners and senior superintendent of police to make Punjab drug-free state. The government has also constituted a five-member cabinet sub-committee led by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs.
Special DGP (law and order) Arpit Shukla, who joined senior superintendent of police (SSP), Mohali, Deepak Pareek to oversee the operation in drug hotspots, said that the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign launched on March 1 has resulted in arrest of 4,484 drug smugglers after registration of 2,669 first information reports across the state. The drive has so far resulted in the recovery of 169.5kg heroin, 88kg opium, 20.5 quintals of poppy husk, 8.64-lakh intoxicating tablets/capsules, 1 kg ICE and ₹5.83 crore drug money.
