Punjab: Continuing its effort to eradicate drug menace from Punjab, the state Police on Tuesday inspected around 164 pharmaceutical shops to ensure that they are not selling intoxicant tablets or any other habit-forming drugs, and are adhering to the prescribed norms and regulations regarding the sale of medicines.
Official sources said that the checking was conducted in six districts including Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar Rural, Commissionerate Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Rupnagar.
Apart from this, Police teams have continued its cordon and search operation (CASO) against drugs and conducted raids at 524 locations on Tuesday leading to the arrest of 69 drug smugglers after registration of 53 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached 472 in just four days.
The raids have resulted in recovery of 1.5 kg heroin, 100 grams opium, 7610 intoxicant tablets/pills/injections and Rs 1.33 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.
The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state.
Notably, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab drug free state in coming three months. The Punjab government has also constituted a 5-member Cabinet Sub Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs.
Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla informed that over 250 Police teams, comprising over 1900 police personnel, under the supervision of 101 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 627 suspicious persons during the day long operation
He said that Punjab Police has devised a comprehensive strategy and such operations will be continued till the scourge of drugs eradicated from the state.
The Special DGP said that with the state government has 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 three persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment, while, organised 161 awareness events across the state on Tuesday as part of Prevention.