Chandigarh, Dec 31 (IANS): From a series of attacks on police establishments to the high-profile killings, the Punjab Police, led by Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, has made significant strides in maintaining law and order, a senior police official said on Tuesday.
"From the series of attacks on police establishments to the high-profile killings of Hindu leader Vikas Bagga at Nangal and ex-terrorist Rattandeep Singh, the Punjab police have left no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice," Inspector General of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill told the media here.
Other notable cases solved include the hand grenade blast at a residence in Sector 10 in Chandigarh, the hand grenade attack at a petrol station in Mansa, and the triple murder case in Ferozepur.
Gill, who was addressing a ‘year-ender’ briefing, said the decisive war on drugs, waged by the Punjab Police on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, continued with police arresting 8,935 drug smugglers and suppliers, including 210 big fish after registering 12,255 first information reports (FIRs), including 1,213 commercials this year.
He said police teams have recovered 1,099 kg heroin, 991 kg opium, 414 quintals poppy husk and 2.94 lakh tablets, capsules, injections and vials of pharma opioids from across the state, while adding drug money worth Rs 14.73 crore has been recovered.
"Registering yet another major success in curbing drug smuggling in the state, the police have successfully executed the orders of preventive detention of two notorious drug smugglers -- Gurdeep Singh and Avtar Singh -- using special provisions under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) act," the IGP said.
Section 3 of the PIT-NDPS Act empowers the government to take such drug smugglers into preventive custody to prevent them from engaging in illicit traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
The IGP said the police have also confiscated 531 properties, worth Rs 335 crore, of big smugglers this year. He said 71 drug consumers, caught with small quantities of drugs, availed of the provision of Section 64-A of the NDPS Act by pledging to undergo rehabilitation treatment.