Punjab Police ensures safety and combats drugs ahead of Independence Day

As part of the ongoing special operations to ensure peaceful celebrations of the forthcoming Independence Day as desired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police on Wednesday conducted a cordon and search operation (CASO) at and around 213 bus stands across the state.

The operation was carried out in all 28 police districts on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.

Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla, who was personally monitoring this state-level operation, said that all the CPs/SSPs were asked to ensure heavy deployment of police force under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (SP) rank officers to make this operation successful.

He said that as many as 2224 suspicious persons were checked during this operation and three first information reports have been registered. Apart from this, police teams have also checked vehicles stationed at different parking lots adjoining the bus stands, issued 541 challans, and impounded 16 vehicles.

Apart from this, police teams have continued their drive against drugs on Day 158 and conducted raids at 344 locations on Wednesday, leading to the arrest of 91 drug smugglers after registration of 61 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached 24,865 within 158 days.

The Special DGP said that the raids have resulted in the recovery of 1.1 kg of heroin, 20 kg of poppy husk, and 9122 intoxicant pills from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.

He informed that over 150 police teams, comprising over 1000 police personnel, under the supervision of 71 gazetted officers, have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 366 suspicious persons during the daylong operation.

The Special DGP said that with the state government having enforced 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 52 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.