To ensure safety and security in the state, the Punjab Police on Thursday conducted a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) at vulnerable places including spa centres, bars, saloons, satta points, and sarais in all the 28 police districts of the state.

The searches were conducted on the directions of the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.

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Over 2,500 police personnel were involved in carrying out the operation in a synchronised manner from 1 pm to 5 pm across the state. All the CPs and SSPs were asked to mobilise a maximum police force to make this operation successful.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Human Rights and Law and Order Naresh Arora said keeping in view that such vulnerable places could be used to carry out illegal activities, the police conducted this operation across the state. “We had strictly instructed all police personnel to deal with every person in a friendly and polite manner during the course of this operation,” he added.

He said that police teams have carried out searches at 87 spa centres, 24 bars, 666 saloons, 25 satta points and 111 Sarai in the state.

Apart from this, police teams continued the drive against drugs ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ and conducted raids at 448 locations leading to the arrest of 89 drug smugglers after registration of 71 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of drug smugglers arrested has reached 7,295 within 55 days.

The ADGP said the raids have resulted in recovery of 2.8 kg heroin, 3.5 kg opium and Rs 1.08 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.

He informed that over 200 Police teams, comprising over 1500 police personnel, under the supervision of 77 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 498 suspicious persons during the day long operation.

He said that the Punjab Police have devised a comprehensive strategy and such operations will be continued till the scourge of drugs eradicated from the state.

The ADGP said with the state government enforcing 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 five persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment.