Punjab Police seize 1,161 kg heroin in ’23, highest annual haul

28 Dec, 2023

Chandigarh, December 27

Intensifying the ongoing war against drugs, Punjab Police this year seized highest-ever haul of 1,161 kg of heroin. This was stated by IGP, Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill here today.

The police adopted a three-pronged strategy — enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation — to eradicate drugs from the state. As part of the strategy, the Punjab Police, led by DGP Gaurav Yadav, have been creating awareness on Section 64-A of the NDPS Act, which provides an opportunity to a drug addict, caught with a few grams of heroin or narcotic powder, to rehabilitate.

“This is for the first time that 65 drug consumers, caught with little quantity of drugs, availed of this provision of the NDPS Act by pledging to undergo rehabilitation treatment,” said the IGP.

Gill, who was addressing a ‘year-ender’ press conference, said that from January 1 to December 26, Punjab Police have arrested 14,951 drug smugglers/suppliers, including 2,424 big fish, after registering 10,786 FIRs.

The IGP said that this year, six major incidents had taken place in Punjab, including three low-grade explosive blasts at Heritage Street in Amritsar; a murderous attack on Batala-based Hindu Shiv Sena (Samajwadi) leader, his brother and son; murder of kulcha shop owner in Bathinda; dacoity in Ludhiana; murder of ex-sarpanch at Khosa Kotla village in Moga; kidnapping and injuring of Ludhiana industrialist for money extortion. The police have solved all these major crimes in a record time, he maintained.

Gill further said that to provide employment opportunities to the youth and channelise their energy in the right manner, the state government has decided to recruit 1,800 constables and 300 SIs every year for the next four years.

Besides, six cheques for Rs 2 crore (Rs 1 crore ex gratia and Rs 1 crore HDFC insurance cover) were handed over to the families of five Punjab Police officials and one home guard, who attained martyrdom in the line of duty.

Meanwhile, with an aim to making Punjab roads safe and reducing road accident fatalities, the Sadak Suraksha Force (SSF) is all set to hit the roads. The SSF is a special police team dedicated towards road safety and effectively chasing criminals.

Action against drug smugglers