676 drug smugglers arrested in a week: Punjab Police
Darpan News Desk IANS, 11 Jul, 2022 01:41 PM
Chandigarh, July 11 (IANS) Intensifying its war against the drug menace in the state, Punjab Police on Monday said it has arrested 676 drug smugglers and suppliers after registering 559 first FIRs under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 in the past one week.
A police spokesperson said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has given Punjab Police a free hand to wage a war against drugs and extensive drives are being launched to combat the menace.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav has ordered all Commissioners of Police to strictly adhere to the government's zero-tolerance policy against drugs and keep vigil at "drug hotspots".
The spokesperson said the police have recovered 5.57 kg heroin, 17 kg opium, 25 kg ganja, seven quintals poppy husk, 2.25 lakh intoxicant pills and capsules, etc, after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas.
A total of 32 proclaimed offenders and absconders in the NDPS cases have also been arrested in the past week, he added.
He said the police busted a racket of making spurious drugs in Muktsar district. Drug peddlers were making duplicate heroin by mixing powder of 'patasha', a traditional sweet, washing soda, weed-killers and herbicides, both liquid and powder. The manufactured 'heroin', widely known as 'chitta', used to be sold among the poor.
After the historic victory of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the oath-taking of the state's new cabinet would be held in martyr Bhagat Singh's ancestral village.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for its clean sweep in the Punjab Assembly elections, and assured the party of all possible help from the Centre.
While the bookies are betting on the basis of per seat in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, in Goa and Uttarakhand, they are betting on forming the government. In Punjab, they are giving the AAP 40 paise against a rupee, predicting a possible AAP government in the state.
The Commission also said elaborate and full proof arrangements have been made at all the counting centres. All strong rooms, where polled EVMs are kept, are under three-layered security with inner cordon manned by central armed police forces and the candidates concerned have been watching the strong room arrangements through CCTV coverage of 24x7.
The police recovered 1.1 kg of gold, 1.9 kg of silver articles and a bike from the accused persons. The arrested persons are identified as Karate Seena a.k.a Srinivas, Kokkare Satish and Tejas, all residents of north Bengaluru.
In February, last year, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Supreme Court that the Tamil Nadu Governor has recorded that the President of India is the competent authority to deal with pardon plea of A.G. Perarivalan, one of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
