Punjab: Over 100 drug smugglers held

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested 142 drug smugglers and recovered 3.5 kg heroin, 1.5 kg opium and Rs 1.19 lakh drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached 21,231 in just 130 days.

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.

CM Bhagwant Mann has asked the Commissioner of police, deputy commissioners and senior superintendent of police to make Punjab a drug-free state. 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, Arpit Shukla, Special DGP Law and Order, informed that over 180 police teams, comprising over 1,300 police personnel, under the supervision of 87 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 429 locations across the state leading to the registration of 105 FIRs across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 455 suspicious persons during the day-long operation, he added.

The Special DGP said that with the state government having enforced a three-pronged strategy to eradicate drugs.