The Punjab Police on Monday said it has arrested three more people and seized 3.5 kg of heroin during an investigation connected to a cross-border drug and arms smuggling racket busted on December 31.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said they were identified as Balraj Singh alias Kaka of Lahorimal village in Amritsar, and Anmol Singh alias Laalu and Sarabjit Singh of the city's Ranjhe di Haveli area.

With this, the total number of arrests now stands at 10 and the quantity of heroin seized is 22.5 kilograms. Yadav said police have also seized 10 live cartridges of .30 bore and nine live cartridges of 9 MM, along with a car from their possession.

The development came more than a week after the police commissionerate of Amritsar busted the racket that was being operated by US-based smuggler Mannu Mahawa.

Commissioner of Police (CP), Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said Anmol Singh and his accomplices were nabbed after being spotted in the Sultanwind area. As per preliminary investigations, the accused were in touch with a Pakistan-based smuggler and Mahawa, and were supplying drugs, arms, and ammunition across the state after smuggling them via drones, he added.


OVER 600 POLICE TEAMS CONDUCT CASO AT 268 IDENTIFIED DRUG HOTSPOTS IN PUNJAB

Punjab Police on Monday conducted a state-level Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) at identified drug hotspots and vulnerable areas in all the 28 Police districts of the state. 

The operation was conducted from 8 am to 2 pm simultaneously across the state and Spl DGP/ADGP/IGP/DIG rank officers from Punjab Police Headquarters were deputed in each Police district to personally supervise the operation.

The CPs/SSPs were told to plan this operation meticulously by identifying drug Hotspots— the points of sale of drugs and psychotropic substances in their respective districts or certain areas that have become shelter/haven for drug peddlers, to carry out this operation amid massive deployment of the police force.

Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla, who joined Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravjot Kaur Grewal in Fatehgarh Sahib, said that the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy— Enforcement, Prevention and Rehabilitation— to eradicate drugs from the state. He said that the Punjab Police has not been leaving any stone unturned to make Punjab free from drugs. “These kinds of CASOs at a mass-scale level not only help in infusing fear among anti-social elements but also boost public confidence and increase the presence of the cops in the field,” he said.

The Special DGP said that over 600 Police teams, comprising over 9000 police personnel, have cordoned off as many as 268 drug hotspots and as many as 5505 suspicious persons were frisked.  During the operation, the Police registered 202 first information reports (FIRs) after arresting 48 persons, besides, apprehending 21 Proclaimed Offenders (POs), he said.

Shukla said that Police teams have recovered 1.9-Kg Heroin, ₹6.80 lakh drug money, 1.1-kg opium, 87.5kg poppy husk, 10125 intoxicant tablets, 18 injections, 885 litres of illicit liquor and 12350 litres lahan, besides, impounding 16 motorcycles and one car.