The Fact News Service
Chandigarh, March 14
Continuing the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state consecutively for the 13th day, Punjab Police conducted raids at 578 locations on Thursday leading to the arrest of 147 drug smugglers after registration of 95 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached 1821 in just 13 days.
The raids have resulted in recovery of 2.8 kg heroin, 7.9 kg poppy husk, 4960 intoxicant tablets/pills/injections and Rs 3.78 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.
The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state.
In Sangrur, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) NRI Affairs Praveen Kumar Sinha joined SSP Sartaj Singh Chahal led police teams conducting raids at houses of smugglers and suspicious people in the Bazigar Basti area near the railway overbridge in Dhuri city.
Notably, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab drug free state in coming three months. The Punjab government has also constituted a 5-member Cabinet Sub Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs.
Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla informed that over 270 Police teams, comprising over 2400 police personnel, under the supervision of 103 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 917 suspicious persons during the day long operation.
The Special DGP said that with the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy— Enforcement, Deaddiction and Prevention (EDP)— to eradicate drugs from the state, the Punjab Police as part of ‘De-addiction’ has convinced eight persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment, while, organised 158 awareness events across the state as part of Prevention.
