Chandigarh, Feb 13 (IANS): Punjab Police have arrested 10,576 drug smugglers, including 1,540 big fish, since July last year, Inspector General of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill said on Monday.

The police have registered 7,999 first information reports (FIRs) of which 915 are related to commercial quantity.

At his weekly press briefing here, Gill said the police have recovered 529.53 kg heroin from the state after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas.

Additionally, 147.5 kg heroin was recovered by the police from seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra, taking the total effective recovery of heroin to 677.03 kg in seven months, he said.

Apart from seizing big-haul of heroin, the IGP said the police have also recovered 424 kg opium, 480.24 kg ganja, 255 quintals of poppy husk, and 51.39 lakh tablets, capsules, injections and vials of pharma opioids.

The police have also recovered Rs 10.03 crore of drug money in seven months.