Peddlers identified during Jandiala Guru search drive

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 15

In an early morning crackdown on drug peddlers, the police carried out door-to-door search operation at Mohalla Shekhupura in Jandiala Guru here on Monday.

As many as 150 cops, comprising officials from the organised crime control unit (OCCU) and the special task force (STF), constituted by the Punjab government for nailing drug peddling in the state, were deputed in the cordon-and-search operation. Woman cops also accompanied the police teams.

Amritsar (Rural) SSP Vikram Jeet Duggal said there were numerous complaints of drug abuse and peddling in the locality due to which the three-hour operation was launched in the wee hours in order to tighten the noose around the suspects.

“During the operation, every household was checked for suspicious activities related to drugs. It came to light that as the police swooped on the area, drug peddling suspects fled from their houses. We have identified several drug peddlers. As the investigation is under progress and raids are on to nab them, we cannot share their names as it can hamper our investigation to identify forward and backward links of these peddlers,” he added.

During the inspection, Sukhdev Singh, said to be drug peddler, was caught possessing 2-gm heroin. A suspicious car was also impounded in the area.

The idea was to smash the drug network as drug peddlers are a crucial link between the suppliers and the drug addicts, the SSP said. The entire exercise also meant to build a confidence among people so that they come forward to share information about drug peddlers. Such operations will be carried out in other areas also. It will help ascertain the family backgrounds and residential locations of the traffickers, said another official. Besides, the cops will identify peddlers’ properties and also keep an eye on other illegal activities, such as illegal weapon trade.

The police teams were headed by SP (OCCU) Naresh Kumar, STF DSP Sohan Singh, Jandiala Guru DSP Gurindebir Singh Sidhu, SHOs of three police station besides 30 STF cops.