Op Seal-V: 3,760 vehicles checked in 10 Punjab districts; 26 arrested

The operation was aimed at checking the vehicles entering or exiting the state to keep a tab on drug trafficking and liquor smuggling, besides keeping vigil on the movement of gangsters and anti-social elements

Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested 26 persons and checked 3,760 vehicles during a special operation ,”Ops Seal-V”. The operation was aimed at checking the vehicles entering or exiting the state to keep a tab on drug trafficking and liquor smuggling, besides keeping vigil on the movement of gangsters and anti-social elements.

Police check a car during operation Seal-V on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

Special director general of police (DGP law-and-order) Arpit Shukla said that 3,760 vehicles entering or exiting the state were checked, of which 271 were challaned and 46 were impounded. Police have registered 23 first information reports (FIRs) after arresting 26 persons. The police teams rounded up 211 suspicious persons for questioning

He added that nakas involving over 1,200 police personnel were set up under the supervision of inspectors and deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) at all the 131 entry or exit points of 10 districts, which share boundaries with four bordering states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

The operation was conducted from 8am to 2pm on the directions of DGP Gaurav Yadav.

The 10 districts were Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Ropar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.

Shukla said that additional DGPs of Bathinda, Patiala and Rupnagar ranges, Faridkot range inspector general of police (IGP) and deputy IGs (border), Jalandhar and Ferozepur ranges, were directed to co-ordinate with their counterparts from bordering states to ensure effective implementation of the operation

All the SSPs of border districts were directed to organise joint naka operations at strategic places and mobilise maximum manpower to lay strong check-points under the supervision of gazetted officers or station house officers, he added.

Shukla added that during the operation, a thorough search of suspected vehicles and persons was conducted while ensuring minimum inconvenience to the general public. Police teams verified the registration numbers using VAHAN mobile app, he added.

“We had instructed all the police personnel to deal with commuters in a friendly and polite manner during the operation,” Shukla said.