Over 10K drug smugglers held in Punjab since March

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police have registered 6,280 first information reports and arrested 10,444 drug smugglers since March 1, as ongoing “Yudh Nashian Virudh” to eradicate drug menace from the state completed 72 days, officials said on Monday.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had asked the police commissioners, deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) to make Punjab a drug-free state.

Since the launch of this campaign, Punjab Police under Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav’s directions have been conducting different operations, including cordon and search operations, night domination and raids at drug hotspots across the state, said an official statement issued here.

Giving details, Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, who has been monitoring these operations, said that police teams have recovered 398 kg heroin, 186 kg opium, 117 quintals poppy husk, eight kg ‘charas’, 135 kg ‘ganja’ (cannabis), 2.5 kg ICE (crystal methamphetamine), 1.2 kg cocaine, 23.57 lakh intoxicant pills/tablets and Rs 8.58 crores drug money from their possession.

Meanwhile, the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy --- enforcement, de-addiction and prevention (EDP) --- to eradicate drugs from the state, said the statement, adding Punjab Police as part of de-addiction has convinced 104 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment.