More than 4,000 drug smugglers nabbed, 175 kg heroin seized in last two months: Punjab Police

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Tuesday said it has arrested more than 4,223 drug smugglers in the last two months under its ongoing anti-drug drive in the state.

The police also recovered 175 kg of heroin and Rs 2.73 crore in cash since July.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill said police registered a total of 3,236 FIRs of which 328 are related to commercial quantity.

Police teams have managed to recover 175 kg heroin from across the state after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas and at vulnerable routes across the state, said Gill here.

Additionally, 147.5 kg heroin was recovered by the teams of Punjab Police from seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra, taking the total effective recovery of heroin to 322.5 kg in just two months, he said.

Apart from seizing big-haul of heroin, the IGP said police also recovered 167 kg opium, 145 kg ganja, 222 quintals of poppy husk, and 16.90 lakhs tablets, capsules, injections and vials of pharma opioids from across the state.

The police have also recovered Rs 2.73 crore of drug money from the possession of drug smugglers arrested in these two months.

Gill further said with 16 more proclaimed offenders (POs) or absconders in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases arrested this week, the total number of arrests reached 263 since the special drive to arrest POs was started on July 5.