Soon, ‘Op Clean-Up’ to weed out drugs

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 4

The Punjab Police are all set to launch “Operation Clean-Up” to weed out the drug menace in the state. The operation, claim the police, will constrict the drug supply chain, especially that of heroin, smack, charas and synthetic drugs.

Top officials in the state police, who conceptualised the new anti-drug operation, claim they have been able to effectively restrict the supply of drugs in most districts of the state over the past two years. The police say the smugglers having drug stocks are now selling these only in their close-knit circles so as to evade police action. It is this close-knit group that will be targeted now.

A top state police official said they had been able to effectively clean up most districts of the drug menace by arresting smugglers and effectively checking the supply of narcotics.

“The major problem area for the police continues to be Tarn Taran, where a separate effective anti-drug programme is being conceptualised for implementation. Drug-peddling is still prevalent in Bathinda, Majitha, Ferozepur and Moga. These areas will also be covered under the Operation Clean-Up. After gathering intelligence on these smugglers and their clients, we are now set to initiate action,” says the officer.

Till three years ago, the drug menace was not a focus area for the police, sources say. Data given by the police to The Tribune reveals that till 2011, around 5,000 cases under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were being registered and a similar number of persons was arrested in a year.

“The first time that the police focused on drug menace, after having effectively controlled local crimes such as snatchings, in 2012, we registered 10,220 cases and arrested 11,715 persons. A huge quantity of heroin (9,301 kg), smack (41.6 kg), charas (134 kg), cocaine, opium and other drugs were also seized. This was also the first time that we seized synthetic drugs in Punjab – ICE (34.13 kg) and ephedrine (19 kg), besides injections, pills, capsules and intoxicant powder,” police sources said.

Since last year, we have arrested 17,022 persons in 14,483 cases and large quantities of various drugs were seized.