Chandigarh, March 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) 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 that led to the arrest of 290 smugglers after registration of 232 first information reports (FIRs), Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said here.
The four-hour-long operation also led to the recovery of 8.14 kg heroin, 1.21 kg opium, 3.5 kg ganja, 19 kg poppy husk, 700 gram charas, 16,238 intoxicant tablets, pills and injections and Rs 8.02 lakh drug money.
The development comes a day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked all the Commissioners of Police, the Deputy Commissioners and the Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab drug-free state in three months.
The government has also constituted a five-member Cabinet Sub-Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs. DGP Yadav, who was monitoring the state-level operation, said the CASO was conducted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. simultaneously in all 28 police districts and officers from Punjab Police Headquarters in Chandigarh were deputed in each police district to supervise the operation.
He said the government has devised a 360-degree action plan to make the state drug-free completely, while also rehabilitating the drug users.
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.
Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, who joined Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Deepak Pareek at Balongi in Mohali, said the CPs and the 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 and safe haven for drug peddlers amid massive deployment of the police force.
He said over 900 police teams, comprising over 8,368 police personnel, under the supervision of 233 gazetted officers have cordoned off 369 drug hotspots and conducted 798 raids in such areas.
He said that the police teams checked over 2,000 suspicious people and taken preventive action against 27, while five proclaimed offenders (POs) were arrested.
Source: IANS
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