IEP CHANDIGARH/SRI MUKTSAR SAHIB, July 26
The ongoing fight against drugs launched by the Punjab Police on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has started yielding results as residents of two notorious areas in district Sri Muktsar Sahib including village Midda and Mohalla Chhajghar of Malout took a pledge to stay away from drugs. Both areas were infamous for smuggling and use of various types of narcotics including heroin, intoxicant tablets, etc.The development came amidst the series of Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) focused on drug trafficking, anti-social elements and criminals being conducted by the Punjab Police to make Punjab a drug-free and crime-free state.On Day-3, the CASO was conducted in all three districts of Faridkot Range including Faridkot, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Moga on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.The Muktsar Police conducted the CASO early in the morning from 5 am to 12 noon, on the other side, Faridkot and Moga Police carried out raids in the daytime. The entire operation was conducted under the overall supervision of DIG Faridkot Range Ajay Maluja and SSPs were directed to plan this operation amid the massive deployment of the Police Force.Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that the Police teams have arrested 79 anti-social elements after registering 66 first information reports (FIRs) during the operation. The Police teams have also recovered Rs 68,500 of drug money, 128 grams of heroin, 115 kg poppy husk, 2560 intoxicant tablets and a huge quantity of illicit liquor and Lahan (Raw material used to make liquor) from their possession, he added.He said that, apart from this, the Police teams have also arrested three Proclaimed offenders (POs) and rounded up 293 suspicious persons for questioning.The Special DGP said that the strong force of 1100+ Police personnel under the supervision of SSP Faridkot Harjit Singh, SSP Sri Muktsar Sahib Harmanbir Singh Gill and SSP Moga J Elanchezian carried out CASO in drug hotspots identified in their respective districts.Meanwhile, Punjab Police will continue such operations in the coming days to completely root out the menace of drugs from the state to transform it into the ‘Rangla Punjab’.