Village committees set up to keep vigil on narcotics smuggling, drone incursions

Fazilka, January 15

After spurt in cases of contraband smuggling from across the International Border (IB), the government has constituted security committees in 62 villages situated near the Indo-Pak boundary in Fazilka district.

To inform police

Members will keep a watch on drone incursions, smuggling of narcotics and weapons. They will inform the police in case any such incident comes to their notice in these border villages. Dr Senu Duggal, Deputy Commissioner, Fazilka

Retired security personnel, representatives of panchayats, youths and prominent citizens have been included as members in these committees constituted by the Fazilka police.

Notably, Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit had also urged the border area residents to support security agencies working against any effort to destabilise the country.

He had stressed on the need of public participation in curbing narco-terrorism during his visit to Fazilka in September 2022. He had also directed the state government to constitute such committees.

The SSP, Fazilka, Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, said a meeting with representatives of 52 committees had already been held. He said members would also make border area residents aware about dreaded impact of drugs and try to inculcate patriotism among them.

Notably, the recovery of about 87 kg of heroin worth Rs 435 crore in the international market, weapons, arms and repeated incursions of drone from the Pakistan side during last more than one month has put the security agencies on high alert.

The SSP claimed that since April 1, 2022, the Fazilka police had nabbed 385 peddlers in 253 different drug smuggling cases.

Besides recovery of heroin, the police have also confiscated 29.680 kg of opium, 2,964 kg of poppy husk, 1,66,024 intoxicating tablets and Rs 1.48 crore drug money from peddlers in Fazilka district during last nine months.