Chandigarh/Jalandhar, April 27:
In a major action under the Punjab Government’s aggressive ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (War Against Drugs) campaign, Commissionerate Police Jalandhar demolished illegal constructions made by drug smugglers in village Lakhanpal, a locality long notorious as a major drug hotspot.
Leading the operation, Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said that village Lakhanpal, traditionally infamous for rampant drug sale and supply, had been under close surveillance. Acting swiftly, a joint team of the Panchayat Department and Jalandhar Commissionerate Police razed unauthorized structures built on government land by known drug peddlers. The action, focused on cutting the roots of the drug network, marks a significant step in reclaiming the area from the clutches of narcotics.
Police investigations revealed that the primary accused who encroached the Government land, Hardeep Singh alias Deepa— a history-sheeter — had 9 cases registered against him, including 7 under the NDPS Act. His father Sarbjit Singh and brother Sandeep alias Sonu also faced two criminal cases each.
Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said the demolished encroachment was being misused by drug peddlers to cross over rooftops and escape during police raids. “By removing these illegal structures, we have curtailed their escape routes. We intend to intensify our raids further and clean the village of its bad name once and for all,” she asserted.
Earlier, during the crackdown in this drug hotspot, nine drug peddlers were arrested, while several others fled, leaving their homes locked. In addition to the arrests, the police have identified two properties for freezing under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act to further tighten the noose around drug traffickers.
Highlighting the collective resolve against drugs, the village panchayat of Lakhanpal also passed a formal resolution banning the sale and consumption of drugs within the village, extending full support to the government’s anti-drug campaign.
The CP reiterated the commitment of the Commissionerate Police to eradicate drugs from the roots and appealed to citizens to come forward with information. She urged people to share any drug-related tips on the Punjab Government’s dedicated WhatsApp number 9779-100-200, assuring that the identity of informants would be kept strictly confidential.
The residents of Lakhanpal welcomed the bulldozer action against the drug mafia, expressing hope for a safer and drug-free future for the village.
