Op Seal: Over 1,000 cops keep hawk’s eye on vehicles entering, exiting Punjab

Punjab Police on Friday carried out a special operation ‘OPS Seal-IX’ aimed at checking all the vehicles entering or exiting the border state to keep tabs on drug trafficking and liquor smuggling.

During the operation, conducted from 8am to 2pm in all the districts on the directions of director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, all the senior superintendents of police (SSPs) of border districts were directed to organise joint naka operations at strategic spots and mobilise manpower to lay strong ‘nakas’ at sealing points under the supervision of gazetted officers/SHOs.

Sharing details, Special DGP, law and order, Arpit Shukla said that well-coordinated nakas, involving over 1,000 police personnel, were set up under the supervision of inspectors/DSPs at least 84 entry/exit points of 10 districts, which share boundaries with four border states and UT Chandigarh. These included Pathankot, Muktsar, Fazilka, Ropar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.

He said that 3,938 vehicles entering/exiting the state were checked, of which 471 were challaned and 11 were impounded during the operation. From Sangrur, 15 bottles of intoxicating syrup, 200 narcotic tablets, 20 bottles of illicit country liquor, and 50 litres of lahaan were recovered as during checking. In Hoshiarpur, nine persons were arrested with 80 gm intoxicant powder, 356 intoxicant tablets and 13,500 ml illicit liquor.

884 arrests within a week

Police teams continued its cordon and search operation (CASO) against drugs and conducted raids at 687 locations on Friday, leading to the arrest of 111 drug smugglers after registration of 86 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached 884 within a week.

He said that the raids have resulted in recovery of 1.2 kg heroin, 9.8 kg opium, 3.3 kg ganja, 46 kg poppy husk, 7,091 intoxicant tablets/pills/injections and ₹1.32 lakh drug money. He further said over 250 police teams, comprising over 2,000 police personnel, under the supervision of 111 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state and checked 787 suspicious persons during the day-long operation.

(With inputs from Sangrur and Hoshiarpur)