Over 5,000 drug related FIRs registered through Safe Punjab WhatsApp chatbot: Cheema

More than 5,000 drug related cases were registered in a year after the launch of ‘Safe Punjab WhatsApp chatbot’, where people could provide information and tips on drug peddlers and hotspots, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Tuesday.

The WhatsApp chatbot portal, launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in August 2024, achieved a commendable conversion rate of 32 per cent, he informed.

It helped in transforming public input into concrete police action, said Cheema, who also serves as chairman of the anti-drug drive — ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ Cabinet sub-committee.

He said the chatbot has been instrumental in the registration of more than 5,000 FIRs in a year.

The chatbot, accessible at 9779100200, has positioned Safe Punjab Portal as one of the nation’s most effective public portals for police engagement, he added.

“The portal has become a vital source of intelligence and a potent weapon in the anti-drug drive, which was officially initiated on March 1, to intensify the state’s efforts against drug trafficking,” the finance minister said.

He also informed said that since the launch of this drive, a total of 16,322 cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, leading to the arrest of 25,552 persons.

Cheema said the state government has also taken decisive action against drug smugglers by demolishing 182 of their illegal properties.

These efforts have resulted in major drug seizures, including 1,054 kg heroin, 21,534 kg poppy husk, 366 kg opium and more than three million tablets, capsules, and pills, he said.

He accused the previous SAD-BJP alliance, of patronising the narcotics trade for a decade, and also pointed out the alleged “failure” of the subsequent Congress government to take strong action against the drug menace.

The minister reiterated that the AAP government has been on a mission to completely eradicate this problem since its first day in office.