Punjab Police arrest 43 drug smugglers in statewide crackdown

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The North News

Chandigarh, March 2

Punjab Police arrested 43 drug smugglers during 510 raids conducted on Sunday as part of the state’s “Yudh Nashian Virudh” operation, launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug abuse.

The day-long operation led to 27 first information reports (FIRs) being registered across all 28 police districts, bringing the total number of drug-related arrests to 333 in just two days. The police seized 776 grams of heroin, 14 kg of opium, 38 kg of poppy husk, 2,615 intoxicant tablets, and ₹4.6 lakh in cash.

More than 300 police teams, involving over 2,000 personnel and 101 senior officers, conducted the raids, checking 619 suspicious individuals, said Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla.

The crackdown followed instructions from Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav and is part of a three-pronged strategy focusing on enforcement, de-addiction, and prevention. The state has also launched 510 awareness events, including seminars and public meetings, to educate the public on the dangers of drug use.

Chief Minister Mann has tasked district officials with making Punjab a drug-free state within three months. A five-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, has been formed to monitor progress.