Continuing the war against drugs, “Yudh Nashian Virudh,” launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate the drug menace from the state, Punjab Police on Monday carried out operations for the 310th consecutive day.
During the statewide crackdown, raids were conducted at 223 locations, leading to the arrest of 65 drug smugglers and the registration of 54 First Information Reports (FIRs). With these arrests, the total number of drug smugglers apprehended over the past 310 days has risen to 43,326.
The raids resulted in the recovery of 657 grams of heroin, 440 intoxicant tablets/capsules, and ₹2,630 in drug money from the possession of the arrested smugglers.
Notably, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has directed Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners, and Senior Superintendents of Police to make Punjab a drug-free state.
To monitor and strengthen the campaign, the Punjab Government has also constituted a five-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, to oversee the war against drugs.
More than 100 police teams, comprising over 700 police personnel and operating under the supervision of 48 gazetted officers, conducted the 223 raids across the state. During the day-long operation, police teams also checked as many as 242 suspicious persons.
The state government has adopted a three-pronged strategy—Enforcement, De-addiction, and Prevention (EDP)—to eradicate drugs from Punjab. As part of the ‘De-addiction’ initiative, Punjab Police also persuaded 22 individuals to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment on Monday.