Punjab police continues its crackdown on drug smugglers

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], July 24 (ANI): Punjab Police conducted raids at 400 locations on Thursday, leading to the arrest of 85 drug smugglers after registration of 60 first information reports (FIRs) across the state, Information and Public Relations Department, Punjab said in an official statement.
With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached 23,237 in 145 days, it stated. The raids have resulted in the recovery of 1.6 kg of heroin, 1 kg of opium, 8353 intoxicant tablets, pills and injections and Rs 8.09 lakh in drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.
The operation was conducted on the directions of the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state.
Notably, Chief Minister 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-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, led by the state's Finance Minister, Harpal Singh Cheema, to monitor the war against drugs.
Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla informed that over 180 Police teams, comprising over 1200 police personnel, under the supervision of 80 gazetted officers, have conducted raids across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 431 suspicious persons during the day-long operation, he added.
The Special DGP said that with the state government having 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 64 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today. (ANI)