Punjab Police conducts special operation in border districts to check movement of drugs, gangsters

Punjab Police on Saturday conducted a special operation aimed at checking vehicles entering the border state to keep a tab on drug trafficking

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Saturday conducted a special operation aimed at checking vehicles entering the border state to keep a tab on drug trafficking, liquor smuggling and the movement of gangsters and anti-social elements, officials said.

The police seized Rs 45 lakh in cash, 30 kilogrammes of poppy husk, 374 grams of heroin, 500 grams of charas and 263 litres of illicit liquor during the operation.

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The joint operation with the police forces of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Chandigarh was conducted from 8 am to 2 pm.

Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said 1,500 personnel were deployed at well-coordinated checkpoints at entry and exit points of 10 districts that share boundaries with the border states and Union Territories.

The 10 inter-state border districts are Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Ropar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.

Shukla said a thorough search of suspected vehicles and people was conducted while ensuring minimum inconvenience to the general public.

“We had strictly instructed all the police personnel to deal with every commuter in a friendly and polite manner while checking their vehicles during the operation,” he added.

According to Shukla, 5,726 vehicles entering the state were checked, of which 329 were challaned and 25 impounded.

The police registered 40 FIRs after arresting 49 persons. The police teams also arrested two proclaimed offenders and rounded up 715 suspicious people for questioning.