Chandigarh: More than 3,200 people were arrested during a 72-hour drive against wanted criminals in Punjab, police said on Wednesday.During Operation Prahar-2, which started on Monday, police conducted 8,278 raids at locations related to wanted criminals. The campaign was launched by the Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab Gaurav Yadav.
Senior police officers visited different police districts to lead the operation, which involved more than 2,000 police teams and 12,000 personnel.Sharing the cumulative results of the operation, Special Director of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said that a total of 7,498 people were rounded up across the state, of which 3,260 have been arrested. Those arrested included 135 people convicted of crimes.He said the police also recovered 47 weapons, 4.8 kg of heroin, 3.6 kg of opium, 42,797 narcotic pills, 68 kg of poppy husks and Rs 30 lakh in cash during the operation.Police teams also made preventive arrests of 1,450 people and verified the identities of 2,788 people and released them after interrogation, Shukla said.Yadav said that the 72-hour-long operation achieved goals beyond expectations and the “Gangstran Te Vaar” (anti-gangster) operation will continue until Punjab is free from the menace.People can anonymously report information related to wanted criminals and gangs through the anti-gang hotline 93946-93946, and can also share tips about crime and criminal activity.Continuing with the 347th day of the anti-drug operation “Yudh Nashian Virudh”, the police arrested 164 drug smugglers on Wednesday and seized 11.9 kg of heroin and 344 narcotic tablets/capsules from their possession.The police said that so far, the total number of drug smugglers arrested has reached 49,129. The anti-drug campaign launches in March 2025.
