Amritsar, March 19 (IANS) Punjab Police on Thursday intensified its ongoing anti-drug and anti-gangster crackdown under the ‘Gangster Te War’ campaign, conducting large-scale Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) in several districts including Barnala, Amritsar, and Hoshiarpur.
Senior police officials said the coordinated operations were aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks and tracking down criminals linked to organised crime.
In the Amritsar district, a CASO was carried out in Pandori Warraich village.
Special DGP, Traffic, Amardeep Singh Rai, said police teams recovered a weapon and other items during the operation.
"This is Pandori Warraich village, which falls under our Amritsar Rural Police district. During the operation, we recovered a gun, cartridges, and a GPS device from a house. The house belongs to a proclaimed offender. He is a wanted individual with six cases registered against him, " he said.
Officials said the search operation also led to the recovery of ammunition, a magazine, and a GPS device during raids in the village.
In Hoshiarpur, a CASO was conducted in Bahadurpur Colony with heavy deployment of police personnel.
ADGP, Internal Security, Shive Kumar Verma, said the operation was carried out simultaneously at multiple locations to target drug smugglers.
"Today we are conducting a CASO here in Hoshiarpur. We are currently in Bahadurpur Colony. The operation is being carried out at around 18 locations across the district, with approximately 500 personnel deployed, " Verma said.
He added that police teams first identify areas where drug traffickers are active and then conduct searches at their residences to gather evidence and take legal action.
Police officials said such coordinated operations will continue across the state as part of the Punjab Police’s ongoing ‘Gangster Te War’ campaign to curb drug trafficking and organised crime.
Meanwhile, in Barnala district, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohammad Sarfaraz Alam said the police have registered a large number of cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act as part of the campaign.
“Barnala Police, under the Yudh Nasheyan Virudh, has registered around 541 cases under the NDPS Act so far and has arrested 1, 028 drug traffickers. A large quantity of drugs has also been recovered, ” Alam said.
He added that the police have also taken action against illegal assets linked to drug traffickers.
“In addition, the police have demolished 12 illegal properties and frozen illegal assets worth nearly Rs 5 crore, along with making significant seizures, ” he said.
The Barnala police carried out the special anti-drug campaign on the directions of the Punjab Director General of Police, deploying a large force to conduct raids and checks in areas identified as drug trafficking hotspots.