392 people held in drug cases in special drive in Punjab

The Punjab Police said on Sunday it arrested 392 people after registering 283 FIRs under the NDPS Act across the state in a special drive against drug menace in the state.

Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said police recovered heroin and other drugs after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas.

Police have also arrested 15 proclaimed offenders of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances cases during the drive that commenced on Thursday.

Extensive anti-drug drives are being initiated from time to time to combat the menace in Punjab, he said.

''The Punjab Police had set a new record by seizing over 700-kg heroin worth Rs 3,500 crore in the international market and confiscating property worth Rs 101 crore after arresting over 10,000 drug smugglers in year 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic,'' the DGP in a statement.

The massive crackdown not only led to a break in the supply chain, but also resulted in decline in drug-related deaths as only 19 deaths were reported last year in comparison to 47 in 2019 and 111 in 2018, he said.

Under the current drive, the Tarn Taran Police carried out a mammoth exercise based on technical collection, data crunching and human intelligence to identify areas notorious for drug smuggling and recovered 1.39 kg heroin and a large number of intoxicant tablets in just three days.

One of the arrested drug suppliers of Tarn Taran used to barter drugs with motorcycles or mobile phones, which are mostly stolen, according to the statement.

Similarly, the Amritsar Rural Police has recovered drug money worth Rs 89 lakh, besides impounding a pistol and 25 cartridges, while the Jalandhar Police has recovered 6.23 kg of opium, 4.50 quintal of poppy husk, 237 grams of heroin and 4.7 kg of cannabis.

Meanwhile, the data from April 1, 2017, till date reveals that the Punjab Police recovered 1,760 kg of heroin, 25 kg of smack and 1,794 kg of opium from the drug smugglers and suppliers, besides attachment of property worth Rs 163 crore. PTI CHS HMB