'Yudh Nashian Virudh’: Punjab Police launches anti-drug operation, arrests 290 drug smugglers in state-wide crackdown

A day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government has waged a decisive war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” to wipe out drugs from the state, Punjab Police on Saturday conducted a massive state-level Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) at identified drug Hotspots— the points of sale of drugs and psychotropic substances— across the state, leading to the arrest of 290 drug smugglers after registration of 232 first information reports (FIRs), informed Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here.

The four-hour long operation has also led to the recovery of 8.14 kg heroin, 1.21 kg opium, 3.5 kg ganja, 19 kg poppy husk, 700 grams Charas, 16,238 intoxicant tablets/pills/injections and Rs 8.02 lakh drug money. 

The development came a day after CM Bhagwant Singh Mann asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab drug free state in 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.

DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav, who was personally monitoring the state-level operation, said that the CASO was conducted from 9am to 1pm simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state and Spl DGP/ADGP/IGP/DIG rank officers from Punjab Police Headquarters, Chandigarh were deputed in each Police district to personally supervise the operation.

He said that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab government has devised a 360 degree action plan to make the state drug-free completely, while also rehabilitating the drug users in the state. Police officers have been asked to trace the forward and backward linkages of all the cases being registered under the NDPS act and take strict action against those found in collusion with the drug smugglers, he added.

Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla, who joined Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Deepak Pareek at Balongi in SAS Nagar, said that the CPs/SSPs were told to plan this operation in a meticulous manner in their respective districts and conduct raids at such areas, which have become shelter/safe haven for drug peddlers amid massive deployment of the police force. Punjab Police has devised a comprehensive strategy and such operations will be continued till the scourge of drugs eradicated from the state, he added.  

The Special DGP informed that over 900 Police teams, comprising over 8368 police personnel, under the supervision of 233 gazetted officers have cordoned off as many as 369 drug hotspots and conducted 798 raids in such areas.

He informed that police teams have checked over 2000 suspicious persons and taken preventive action against 27 persons, while, five proclaimed offenders (POs) have also been arrested during the operation.

Other officers who went to the field includes Special DGP PSPCL Dr Jitendra Jain, ADGP Traffic AS Rai, ADGP Law and Order SPS Parmar, ADGP State Armed Forces MF Farooqui, ADGP Internal Security Shive Kumar Verma, and IGP Technical Support Services (TSS) Pradeep Kumar Yadav, IGP Intelligence Babu Lal Meena, IGP GRP Punjab Baljot Singh Rathore and IGP Gurdial Singh.

Meanwhile, the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy— Enforcement, Deaddiction and Prevention (EDP)— to eradicate drugs from the state.