In a major crackdown, the Punjab Police arrested 20,979 suspected drug smugglers and seized 1,658 kg heroin in the past 15 months, officials said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference here, IGP (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said 15,434 FIRs have been registered in the state since July 5, 2022. He said out of these, 1,864 FIRs are related to commercial quantities of drugs.
“A total of 147.5 kg contraband was seized from seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra, taking the total effective recovery of heroin to 1658.05 kg in just 15 months,” he said.
The officer said police have also recovered 924.29 kg opium, 986 kg ganja, 470.91 quintals of poppy husk, and 92.03 lakh tablets, capsules, injections and vials of pharma opioids from across the state.
He said Rs 15.81 crore of drug money was also seized in the said period.
Gill said his team also forfeited properties of 111 smugglers worth Rs 88.3 crore, adding that Jalandhar Rural remains on top by forfeiting properties worth Rs 40.3 crore followed by district Tarn Taran, which confiscated properties worth Rs 12.06 crore, and Ferozepur seized properties worth Rs 6.16 crore.
He said the state police is not leaving any stone unturned to improve the law and order situation in the state and curb the drug menace.
Meanwhile, the police also busted 31 terror modules with the arrest of 197 terrorists or radicals since Bhagwant Mann came to power in the state.
“Thirty-two rifles, 222 revolvers, nine tiffin IEDs, 10.86 kg explosives, 11 hand grenades, two sleeves of disposed rocket launchers, 73 drones, and one loaded rocket propelled grenade were seized in this crackdown,” according to official data.