Hailing the successful reactivation of the 24X7 helpline, which had become defunct during the previous Akali-BJP regime, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday claimed that nearly 500 arrests have been made in the crackdown on drugs by the new government in the past fortnight.
Speaking to the media in New Delhi on Friday, the CM said: “The anti-drugs campaign kick-started by the government is yielding results. With 240 tip-offs received in just two days since the Punjab Police reactivated and advertised its 181 helpline for drugs, the number of arrests in drugs cases has gone up to nearly 500.”
He said he had directed the police and intelligence departments to reach out to people more aggressively through the helpline for realising his government’s goal of wiping out drug menace from the state in four weeks.
“The campaign will get boost with special task force chief Harpreet Sidhu taking charge on Friday,” he said.
Providing an update on the drugs campaign, an official spokesperson later said drug traders and peddlers had been booked and 449 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act between March 16 and 29.
Giving break-up of the drugs seizures, the spokesperson said around 4kg of heroin and 600gm of smack were recovered from those arrested. Other seizures included 2.22kg of charas, 24kg of opium, 715kg of poppy husk and 1.8kg of bhang. The police have also recovered 12kg of intoxicant powder, 1,576 injections, 1,11,893 pills/capsules, 72kg of ganja and 133 syrup bottles.
{{/usCountry}}Giving break-up of the drugs seizures, the spokesperson said around 4kg of heroin and 600gm of smack were recovered from those arrested. Other seizures included 2.22kg of charas, 24kg of opium, 715kg of poppy husk and 1.8kg of bhang. The police have also recovered 12kg of intoxicant powder, 1,576 injections, 1,11,893 pills/capsules, 72kg of ganja and 133 syrup bottles.
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