Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann orders task force to crack down on drug smugglers

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today directed the police force to launch a major crackdown on unscrupulous elements selling drugs, besides asking them to tighten the noose around political functionaries interfering in the anti-drug campaign.

Act without fear

A few peddlers might have been getting political patronage in the past, but not anymore. Police should work fearlessly towards wiping out drugs. Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister

Chairing a high-level meeting of the Special Task Force (STF) team led by chief Harpreet Sidhu here, Mann said those found conniving with the drug mafia, including politically-affiliated persons and officers, would not be spared.

He asked the police officers to work without any political pressure with a focus on making Punjab drug-free.

The CM said: “Some police officers might have been earlier working under certain compulsions, but all are not alike. A few drug peddlers might have been getting political patronage in the past, but not anymore. All of you should work fearlessly towards wiping out drugs from the state.”

Emphasising the need to break the supply chain, Mann asked the officers to arrest those selling drugs, not the addicts, as the latter were victims of the drug mafia. He said the initiative would help break the backbone of the supply chain and make drug-free, adding this could not be accomplished without the support of the police force.

Focusing on rehabilitation of addicts, Mann underscored the need for bringing them to the mainstream. The CM further said the government would strive for running drug de-addiction centres across the state efficaciously, while ensuring there was no shortage of medicines, besides running counselling programmes for the youth.

Prominent amongst those present were Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister A Venu Prasad and ADGP (Intelligence) SS Srivastava.

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