Intensifying its ongoing crackdown on the drug trade as state wide statewide CASO Operation , Malerkotla Police have conducted CASO operation and arrested 03 individuals including two proclaimed offenders in a series of coordinated raids conducted across the district in the early hours of Sunday and as many as 06 persons have been rounded up who are habitual criminals and history sheeter under 110 CRPC. 70 grams of heroin and over 600 intoxicant tablets have been seized from their possession.
Among those apprehended are two women drug paddlers including a notorious trafficker evading arrest since 2018, police said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Malerkotla, Mr Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh informed media persons that acting on confirmed intelligence inputs, under CASO operation the raids were carried out by a large contingent of police officers and CIA staff, led by Inspectors and DSP-rank officers, at identified drug hotspots spanning various locations.
Those nabbed have been recognised as Bhajan Kaur of Bhurthala Mander, wanted in a previous NDPS case; Nasim Akhtar @ Gabar of Nabab Colony, a suspected temple thief and declared proclaimed offenders by the Honourable court ; Ajay Singh son of late Buta Singh son of Pyara Singh resident of Andhlran Vehra; and two habitual heroin smugglers Mohammad Sehzad @ Bandri and Mohammad Samshad @ Sadhu, both residents of Dhob Ghat Mohalla; and three separate persons rounded up with 200 intoxicant pills each – Mohammad Tariq of Amargarh, Sukhwinder Kaur @ Ghugi from Kanganwal and Sukhwinder Kaur alias Ghugi Wife of Bhola Singh of Kanganwal.
The SSP Khakh said that the intensified CASO crackdown reflects the police’s zero tolerance policy towards the pervasive drug menace. Under 110 crpc Malerkotla police is rounding up habitual criminals to curb their activities and halt drug supply chain.
He appealed to the general public to proactively share intelligence on drug crimes, asserting that community participation coupled with preemptive policing could significantly debilitate organised criminal networks.
The detained accused shall be produced before the local magistrate during the day, the SSP Khakh stated, noting that custody may be sought for deeper interrogation to unravel their smuggling network.