Further intensifying its ongoing drive to make Punjab a drug-free state as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Police on Wednesday launched a state-wide operation ‘OPS Clean’ aimed at keeping a tab on activities of persons involved in smuggling of commercial quantities of drugs. The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.
Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said places/houses linked with the drug smugglers/drug peddlers were raided simultaneously during this operation, which was conducted from 7am to 12noon. All the CPs/SSPs were asked to personally monitor this operation and make a sufficient number of police teams under the supervision of gazetted rank officers, so that they could carry out raids in a synchronised manner, he added.
As many as 650 Police teams, involving over 5500 police personnel, have raided 2247 locations and conducted searches at 2125 houses of persons having involvement in drug smuggling cases.The Special DGP said that the Police teams have recovered 1.8kg heroin, 82kg poppy husk, 1kg opium, Rs 5.35 lakh drug money and four weapons, besides recovering illicit liquor, lahan (raw material used to make liquor) and vehicles after registering 48 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. Police teams have also seized 78 mobile phones, which will be sent for forensic examination.
He said that a thorough search of houses of persons involved in drug smuggling was conducted during an operation and teams have enquired about the present occupation of such persons. Police teams have also checked bank details and transactions from abroad from smugglers and their family members present in the house, he added.
The Special DGP said that the intent to carry out this operation was to keep a check on the influx of drugs from across the inter-state borders, besides, keeping a tab on drug smugglers. Such raids would continue further, he added.