In combating the menace of drug abuse, Punjab Government’s Special Task Force (STF) and the District Police have taken effective steps to unearth nexus between police employees and drug trafficking by dismissing as many 47 police personnel while suspending 17 others.
“From April 2017 till April 30, 2020, total 114 criminal cases have been registered against 148 police personnel and departmental inquiries have been initiated against 61 policemen. Besides, 47 police personnel have so far been dismissed and 17 have been suspended,” said the Special Task Force chief-cum-ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu.
Sidhu said it is the policy of the State Government to take strict action against all such elements.
“The police have forfeited properties worth Rs 18.46 crore in 37 proposals in 2017, Rs 11.37 crore in 37 proposals in 2018, Rs 37.69 crore in 50 proposals in 2019, and properties amounting to Rs 1.68 crore in 11 proposals up to March 31, 2020. Apart from this, 58 cases are pending with competent authority for confirmation of property worth approximately Rs 20.5 crores,” said Sidhu.
He added that since the inception of STF in April 2017, law enforcement agencies had recovered 1376 kg heroin, 1515 kg opium, 1,24,728 kg poppy husk, 6,053 kg ganja, and 2,74,33,119 pills or capsules along with many crore rupees of drug money. The recovery of 464 kg heroin in 2019 has been the highest during 2019 as compared to the last five years, he added.
Sidhu revealed that law enforcement agencies had arrested 580 proclaimed offenders, 1,885 absconders, 125 bail jumpers, 106 parole jumpers under NDPS Act from 2017 to March 31, 2020.