DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH

Amidst the ongoing special operations to ensure peaceful celebrations of forthcoming Independence Day as desired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police on Saturday carried out a special operation 'OPS Seal-XVIII' aimed at checking all the vehicles entering or exiting the border state of Punjab to keep vigil around anti-social elements, drug traffickers and bootleggers.

During the operation, conducted from 11 am to 2 pm simultaneously in all the districts on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, all the SSPs of border districts were directed to organise joint Naka operations at strategic places in their respective districts and mobilise a maximum number of manpower to lay strong 'nakas' at sealing points under the supervision of Gazetted officers/SHOs.

Sharing details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that well-coordinated strong nakas involving over 600 Police Personnel were set up under the supervision of Inspectors/DSPs at least 71 entry/exit points of 10 districts, which share boundaries with four border states and UT Chandigarh. The 10 inter-state border districts include Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Rupanagar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.

He said that as many as 2464 vehicles entering/exiting the state were checked, of which 286 were challaned and nine were impounded during the operation. Police teams have also registered four FIRs and arrested nine persons during the operation.

Apart from this, Police teams have continued its cordon and search operation (CASO) against drugs on Day 161, and conducted raids at 403 locations on Saturday leading to the arrest of 87 drug smugglers after registration of 57 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 25,264 within 161 days.

The Special DGP said that the raids have resulted in recovery of 2.2 kg heroin and 2.1 kg opium from the possession of arrested drug

smugglers.

He informed that over 180 Police teams, comprising over 1200 police personnel, under the supervision of 79 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 433 suspicious persons during the day long operation.

(editor@dailyworld.in)