Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], March 31 : The Punjab Police have arrested 48 drug smugglers and recovered 16.7 kg of heroin along with Rs 34,300 in drug money under the ongoing "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, officials said on Monday.
With this, the total number of drug smugglers arrested in the last 31 days has reached 4,640.
The operation was conducted simultaneously across all 28 police districts of the state as per the directions of Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
Notably, CM Bhagwant Mann has asked the Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, and Senior Superintendents of Police to make Punjab a drug-free state. The Punjab government has also constituted a five-member Cabinet Subcommittee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs.
Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said that over 200 police teams, comprising more than 1,400 personnel under the supervision of 99 gazetted officers, conducted raids at 518 locations across the state. These efforts led to the registration of 35 First Information Reports (FIRs). Police teams also checked 608 suspicious individuals during the day-long operation, he added.
The Special DGP said that 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 two persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment.