Chandigarh: Punjab Police has arrested 4,233 individuals, including gangsters and their associates, and recovered 116 weapons in the first two weeks of its statewide anti-gangster अभियान ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’, officials said on Monday.
The campaign, launched on January 20 on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to make Punjab a gangster-free state, has seen police conduct 14,382 raids across the state so far. The operation is being led by the Punjab Police in coordination with the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF).
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav had formally launched the campaign, under which police teams from all districts have been carrying out raids at identified and mapped locations linked to gangsters and their associates. As part of the drive, special nakas have been set up across Punjab under the supervision of inspectors and DSPs, with extensive checking of vehicles and suspicious persons.
Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, who inspected a naka at Godrej Chowk in Mohali, said that police have recovered 116 weapons, 262 live cartridges and 23 magazines from those arrested. He added that preventive action has been taken against 2,311 individuals, while 4,008 persons were verified and released after questioning. Police have also arrested 283 proclaimed offenders in the last 14 days.
On the 14th day of the campaign alone, police arrested 172 individuals after conducting 613 raids, took preventive action against 159 persons and arrested nine proclaimed offenders.
The Special DGP also urged the public to cooperate with the police, stating that people can anonymously share information related to wanted criminals and gangsters through the Anti-Gangster Helpline number 93946-93946.
Meanwhile, Punjab Police continued its anti-drugs campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ for the 338th consecutive day. On Monday, 81 drug smugglers were arrested and 1.3 kg of heroin, 1,053 intoxicant tablets and capsules, and ₹1.23 lakh in drug money were recovered. With this, the total number of drug smugglers arrested in 338 days has reached 47,498. As part of de-addiction efforts, 11 persons were also motivated to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment.
