Record seizure of drugs, arrests this year: Top cop

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, August 6

With the huge recovery of drugs from 492 peddlers and smugglers arrested in 361 cases registered under various provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act this year, the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate has created a record of sorts, officials have claimed.

While opium remained the top choice of the arrested drug peddlers and smugglers, heroin, crystal methamphetamine, which is popularly known as ice or party drug, poppy husk, smack, charas, ganja, narcotics powder, and intoxicant pills, capsules, injections, and syrups were also seized in large quantity here from January to July this year.

waged a War on drugs

We have adopted a zero tolerance for drugs and have waged a war on contraband and its peddlers and smugglers as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav. Nobody indulging in the illicit trade will be spared at any cost. —Dr Kaustubh Sharma, Commissioner of Police

Commissioner of Police (CP) Kaustubh Sharma told The Tribune here on Saturday that not only the recovery of the majority of drugs but also the number of arrests and NDPS cases this year were the highest in the past five years.

The comparative figures from January 1 to July 31, compiled by the Police Commissionerate, revealed that 29.23 kg of opium, 6.71 quintal of poppy husk, 2.79 kg of charas, 14 gm of smack, 5.97 quintal ganja, 4.65 kg of heroin, 6 gm of ice or party drug, 3.56 kg of narcotics powder, 60,937 intoxicant pills and capsules, and 20 intoxicant injections were seized from 361 peddlers and smugglers caught in 492 cases registered under the NDPS Act this year.

Comparatively, 372 arrests were made in 249 NDPS cases during the corresponding period in 2021, 175 arrests in 137 cases in 2020, 286 arrests in 367 cases in 2019, and 337 drug peddlers and smugglers were apprehended in 389 NDPS cases lodged in the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate in 2018.

The recoveries during the previous years included 10.17 kg of opium, 8.4 quintal of poppy husk, 19.11 kg of charas, 1.7 quintal of ganja, 2.27 kg of heroin, 491 gm of narcotics powder, and 46,43,314 pills and capsules, and 20 intoxicating injections in 2021; 3.63 kg of opium, 3.94 quintal of poppy husk, 1.7 kg of smack, 60.64 kg of ganja, 1.29 kg of heroin, 321 gm of narcotics powder, 67,453 intoxicant pills and capsules, and 35 intoxicant injections in 2020; 6.86 kg of opium, 2.05 quintal of poppy husk, 35 gm of smack, 440 gm of charas, 1.04 quintal of ganja, 3.32 kg of heroin, 3.23 kg of narcotics powder, 17,399 intoxicant pills and capsules, and 10 intoxicant syrup bottles were confiscated in 2019, 8.17 kg of opium, 6.71 quintal of poppy husk, 11 gm of smack, 600 gm of charas, 95.59 kg of ganja, 4.92 kg of heroin, 2.75 kg of narcotics powder, 14,524 intoxicant pills and capsules, and 355 intoxicant injections between January and July in 2018.

Of the total 29.23 kg of opium seized in the past seven months this year, 21.34 kgof opium was seized since April 9 when Dr Sharma had assumed the charge of the Ludhiana Commissionerate police chief.

Similarly, 5.46 quintal of the total 6.71 quintal of poppy husk, entire seizure of heroin, ice or party drug, narcotics powder, and 51,812 intoxicant pills and a total of 60,937 capsules and all 20 intoxicant injections were recovered since April 9 here.

Also, 296 of the total 361 The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act cases and 403 of the total 492 arrests in these cases during the past seven months this year were made since April 9.

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