'Yudh Nashian Virudh': On Day 44, Punjab Police arrest 61 drug smugglers; 1.3kg heroin, Rs 91.3 lakh drug money recovered

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], April 13 (ANI): The war against drugs, "Yudh Nashian Virudh", waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate the drug menace from the state, entered its 44th day. Punjab Police on Sunday arrested 61 drug smugglers and recovered 1.3 kg of heroin and Rs 91.3 lakhs of drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 5926 in just 44 days, officials said.
According to a release, the operation was conducted simultaneously in all 28 police districts of the state on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav."
According to the release, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab a drug-free state. The Punjab government has also constituted a 5-memof heroin and Rs 91.3 lakhs of ber 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 200 Police teams, comprising over 1100 police personnel, under the supervision of 76 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 383 locations across the state leading to the registration of 50 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 417 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 three persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment." (ANI)