Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], March 4 (ANI): Continuing the war against drugs, "Yudh Nashian Virudh," Punjab Police conducted raids at 524 locations on Tuesday, leading to the arrest of 69 drug smugglers across the state.
According to a release from the Punjab Information and Public Relations Department, the police conducted raids for the fourth day consecutively to eradicate the drug menace from the state. The checking was conducted in six districts, including Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar Rural, Commissionerate Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Rupnagar.
The Punjab Police inspected as many as 164 pharmaceutical shops today to ensure that they are not selling intoxicant tablets or any other habit-forming drugs and are adhering to the prescribed norms and regulations regarding the sale of medicines.
Police teams continued their cordon and search operation (CASO) against drugs and conducted raids at 524 locations on Tuesday. This led to the arrest of 69 drug smugglers after 53 first information reports (FIRs) were registered across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached 472 in just four days.
The raids have resulted in the recovery of 1.5 kg heroin, 100 grams opium, 7610 intoxicant tablets, pills, injections and Rs 1.33 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.
The operation was conducted simultaneously in all 28 police districts of the state on the directions of the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.
Notably, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab a drug-free state in the coming three months.
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, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla informed that over 250 Police teams, comprising over 1900 police personnel, under the supervision of 101 gazetted officers, have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 627 suspicious persons during the day-long operation
He said that Punjab Police has devised a comprehensive strategy, and such operations will be continued till the scourge of drugs is eradicated from the state.
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, while, organised 161 awareness events across the state on Tuesday as part of Prevention. (ANI)