Punjab Police seized 1,161 kg of heroin in 2023, said Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill here on Wednesday.
The state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy of 'enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation' to eradicate drugs from the state, said an official statement.
\"As part of the strategy, the Punjab Police has been promoting and creating awareness about section 64-A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which provides an opportunity for rehabilitation to a drug consumer caught with a few grams of heroin or narcotic powder,\" said the statement.
\"This is for the first time that 65 drug consumers, caught with little quantity of drugs, availed the provision of section 64-A of the NDPS Act by pledging to undergo the rehabilitation treatment,\" said the IGP.
Police recovered 253 kg heroin, 16 pistols, two rifles, including an AK-47, along with magazines and live cartridges and Rs 20.26 lakh dropped via drones, he said, adding that there were 303 drone sightings this year.
He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had already sanctioned Rs 19.25 crore for the installation of CCTV cameras in the border areas to further strengthen the second line of defence and keep vigil against drug smugglers and anti-social elements.
Gill said that from January 1 to December 26, Punjab Police arrested 14,951 drug smugglers/suppliers, including \"2424 big fish\" after registering 10,786 FIRs.
Apart from seizing the big haul of 1,161-kg heroin, Police teams have also recovered 795-kg opium, 403 quintals of poppy husk, and 83.17 lakh tablets, capsules, injections, vials of pharma opioids from across the state, he said, adding that Rs 13.67 crore was recovered from drug smugglers arrested this year.
Punjab Police have also seized 294 properties worth Rs 127 crore - Rs 110.64-crore immovable and Rs 16.45-crore movable property - of big smugglers, while 90 more proposals to seize properties worth Rs 26 crore are pending with the competent authority, said the IGP.
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