Over 39,000 drug traffickers arrested by Punjab Police in little over two years
Chandigarh: The Punjab Police have arrested 39,840 drug traffickers since March 16, 2022, Inspector General of Police (IGP) headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill said on Monday.
A total of 29,152 FIRs, including 3,581 commercial FIRs, have also been registered.
Gill, who was addressing a press conference, said that the police teams have set up roadblocks on sensitive routes across the state as well as cordoned off drug-affected areas of the state and 2,546 kg of heroin was recovered during the search operation.
He said that apart from seizing a large quantity of heroin, the police have also recovered 2,457 kg of opium, 1,156 quintals of bhukki and 4.29 crore pills, capsules, injections, vials of pharma opioids. He further said that the police have also recovered drug money worth Rs 30.83 crore from the possession of the arrested drug traffickers in the last two-and-a-half years. The IGP said that the Punjab Police have seized 602 properties worth Rs 324.28 crore from big traffickers during this time, while 192 cases of freezing properties worth Rs 103.50 crore are pending with the competent authority.
It is noteworthy that a three-pronged strategy – enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation – has been implemented by the state government to eradicate drug addiction from the state. As part of the strategy, the Punjab Police are creating publicity and awareness about the Section 64A of the NDPS Act, which provides an opportunity for rehabilitation to drug addicts caught with some grams of heroin or narcotic powder. The IGP said that 295 drug addicts caught with small quantities of narcotics in 245 cases have taken advantage of the Section 64A of the NDPS Act by promising to undergo rehabilitation treatment.
He said that under the special drive to arrest fugitives in NDPS cases, the police have arrested 2,378 fugitives since March 16, 2022.
Referring to the achievements against the gangsters, the IGP said that the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) along with the field units arrested 1,420 gangsters and criminals and killed 12. “The criminal module has been successfully busted and 1,337 weapons, 294 vehicles used in criminal activities, 56.7 kg of heroin’ he said.
