Punjab’s anti-drug force yields 85-kg heroin in its first month

Since the formation of the Anti-Drug Task Force (ADTF) about a month ago, the Punjab Police have seized nearly 85 kg of heroin, the second highest monthly recovery of the narcotic so far this year.

The task force was launched on August 29 to mark the mid-term of the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government. It is the reformed version of the Special Task Force (STF) against drugs. The ADTF has got more funds, intelligence units and personnel to deal with the drug menace.

As many as 908 suspects were arrested and 661 FIRs were lodged in September. On an average, nearly 30 drug smugglers were caught and 22 FIRs were lodged daily. The police had seized 119 kg of heroin in April, the highest in a month so far this year.

Drug smuggling has been a burning issue in the state for over a decade. Since June this year, when 14 youths died due to alleged drug overdose, the AAP government has been under pressure to rein in the menace.

Besides busting a number of gangs, the police have booked a DSP for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 45 lakh for letting off suspects in an NDPS case. Kuldip Singh, Special DGP and head of the ADTF, said they had effectively kept a check on the activities of drug smugglers. He said, “While the supply lines were hit after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, we too have intensified the crackdown and dismantled several smuggling networks. Only last month, we attached Rs 49 crore assets belonging to drug smugglers.”

The state police had recovered 1,360 kg of heroin last year, while 700 kg has been seized so far this year.