234 gm heroin seized, 14 nabbed in 12 FIRs in search operation

Cracking a whip on miscreants and drug peddlers active in the city, the Amritsar police commissionerate held a cordon and search operation (CASO) in various sensitive areas located in three zones of the city here on Monday.

He said the operation was aimed at nailing bad elements and maintaining law and order. The cops were led by Additional Deputy Commissioners of Police-rank officials, Assistant Commissioners of Police, SHOs and chowki in-charges while SWAT teams and armed cops were also part of the search operation.

Among the areas where CASO was conducted included Gate Hakima, Anngarh, Fateh Singh Colony, Sultanwind village, 88-foot road on Majitha Road, Yaseen Road near Aanum cinema, Housing Board Colony, Gumtala, Guru Ki Wadali, Bansa Wala Bazaar, Ekta Nagar, Maqboolpura flats and Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar areas.

During the search operation, the police registered 12 cases under the NDPS act against 14 persons and a total of 234 gm of heroin, Rs 6,720 of drug money, three lighters and silver foil papers were seized. In addition, three cases under the Excise Act were also registered against three persons and recovered 110 bottles of illicit liquor.

While preventive action was taken against 12 persons and a stolen scooter was recovered.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said special focus was on the suspicious elements who were out of jail on bail and drug peddlers. Their current activities were also monitored. He interacted with local residents and urged them to share information about blacksheeps in their areas while assuring that their names would be kept secret.

Meanwhile, the city police have arrested a total of 1,655 drug traffickers in 863 FIR registered with the police since March 1 when the government launched the statewide Yudh Nashiyan Virudh campaign.

Bhullar said 190 kg of heroin, 13.5 kg of opium, 372 gm ICE drug, 9 kg ganja, 15 kg charas, 325 kg of narcotic powder and Rs 2.68 crore of drug money were seized and 81 vehicles recovered.

The police also recovered 113 pistols smuggled from Pakistan from 99 suspects in 48 FIRs while the police also recovered Rs 10.5 lakh of hawala money from them. — TNS