category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Punjab Police on Monday said it has arrested 302 drug smugglers and suppliers after registering 221 FIRs in the past week. In a statement, Inspector General of Police (IGP), headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill said police recovered more than 24 kilograms of heroin, 10 kilograms of opium, 1.57 quintals of poppy husk and 1.05 lakh tablets, capsules, injections and vials of pharma opioids as well as Rs 20.72 lakh cash from the drug smugglers. Gill said the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation to eradicate the drug menace from the state. During a recent review meeting with all senior police officers, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann directed them to hold public meetings in villages to help prevent crime and eradicate the drug menace, the IGP said. Gill said police commissioners and senior superintendents of police were also told to increase awareness activities against drugs, hold small flag marches in their jurisdictions and periodic meetings with the prominent persons of society. Police have organised at least 175 awareness programmes against drugs, including 13 big events to sensitise people about the ill effects of drugs, he said. Punjab Police has also been creating awareness about Section 64 A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which provides an opportunity to a drug consumer caught with a few grams of heroin or narcotic powder to undergo rehabilitation. There is a misconception among the public that Section 64 A would have long-term implications. But the fact is any drug consumer caught with a small quantity of drugs has the opportunity to voluntarily seek to undergo medical treatment for de-addiction, and there will be no long-term implications, Gill said. As part of the strategy, Chief Minister Mann has also directed to transfer lower-rank police officials, who have been posted on the same seat for a long time, to break possible nexus, he said, adding that the district police chiefs have already been told to make lists of such personnel. The IGP said police have also registered 130 FIRs and arrested 117 people involved in extortion call incidents, which has led to a decrease in their numbers Meanwhile, with 10 more Proclaimed Offenders (POs) Absconders in NDPS cases arrested in the last week, the total number of arrests reached 1186 since the special drive to arrest POs absconders was started on July 5, 2022. (editor dailyworld.in)