Chandigarh: Punjab Police arrested 57 alleged drug smugglers and registered 42 FIRs after conducting raids at 286 locations across the state on Sunday, officials said. The action marked the 169th consecutive day of the state’s anti-drug campaign “Yudh Nashian Virudh,” launched under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
According to police, the raids led to the recovery of 461 grams of heroin, 415 intoxicant tablets and capsules, and ₹31,550 in cash. With the latest crackdown, the total number of drug smugglers arrested in the past 169 days has risen to 26,023.
The operations, conducted on the directions of DGP Gaurav Yadav, were carried out simultaneously in all 28 police districts. Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said over 120 police teams comprising more than 1,000 personnel, under the supervision of 59 gazetted officers, executed the raids. During the day-long operation, police also checked 335 suspicious individuals.
Shukla added that the state government’s three-pronged strategy of Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention (EDP) continues to guide efforts against drugs. As part of the de-addiction drive, 45 people were persuaded on Sunday to undergo rehabilitation treatment.
The Punjab government has also set up a five-member Cabinet Sub-Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the anti-drug campaign. CM Mann has directed police commissioners, deputy commissioners, and senior superintendents of police to intensify efforts to make Punjab a drug-free state.
