Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav today visited PAP Complex in Jalandhar, where he addressed the ongoing drive against drug addiction and organized crime in the state.
He said that till date, 13,000 individuals have been arrested in relation to drug cases and more than 5,000 drug addicts have been admitted to de-addiction centers. The DGP reiterated that arresting high-level drug smugglers with the assistance of information from low-level dealers will be the priority now.
DGP Yadav also revealed that the police will coordinate closely with village panchayats and local communities for the identification of drug users and for admitting them to de-addiction centers. Meanwhile, the police will probe the antecedents of arrested smugglers to ensure stringent action against them.
In order to address the problem of drugs flowing into Punjab through Pakistan, the DGP has announced the installation of 20,000 CCTV cameras in border districts such as Pathankot. It will be increased throughout the state. Drones will also be used soon to monitor suspicious activity.
On a different front, DGP Yadav stated that eight spies have been arrested in Punjab till date, and the last arrest in Mohali has been found to have connections with Haryana. The Punjab Police State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) arrested Jasbir Singh, a Rupnagar-based YouTuber, on espionage charges. Jasbir Singh is suspected of having connections with a Pakistani intelligence network and with other operatives such as Jyoti Malhotra and Danish, a Pakistani national who was expelled from India earlier.
With regard to de-addiction centers, the DGP explained that stringent actions will be taken to keep medicines away from misuse. Patients will now be supplied with a week's dosage of medicines after they have shown their identity cards.
The DGP ended by reaffirming that the Punjab Police, health, and community organizations are devoted to making villages drug-free and shattering the network of both drug smuggling and espionage activities.