Punjab Police Launch Massive Statewide Anti-Drug Operation "EAGLE-IV"

Senior Officers from the Punjab Police Headquarters (PPHQ) joined CPs/SSPs to conduct a massive state-level Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) at identified drug Hotspots—the points of sale of drugs and psychotropic substances—under the name "EAGLE-IV," further escalating the ongoing war on drugs being waged on Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's orders.

Spl DGP/ADGP/IGP/DIG rank personnel from PPHQ were deputed in each Police district to personally oversee the operation, which was carried out from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. concurrently throughout all 28 Police districts of the state per the directives of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.

Following a massive police force deployment, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla, who joined Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gulneet Singh Khurana in Rupnagar, said that the CPs and SSPs were instructed to meticulously plan this operation in their respective districts and conduct raids at such areas, which have become shelter/safe haven for drug peddlers.

He added that in order to get rid of narcotics from the state, the administration has implemented a three-pronged strategy: Enforcement, Deaddiction, and Prevention (EDP). According to him, police have been instructed to follow the forward and backward links of every case being reported under the NDPS statute and to take decisive action against anyone discovered to be working with drug smugglers.

The Special DGP stated that rigorous surveillance is being maintained on drone movements, which have become the new means of smuggling drugs, guns, and explosives across the border. This is being done in an effort to disrupt the core of the drug smuggling networks operating from across the border. He said that since September 2019, there have been 906 reports of drone sightings in all of the state's border districts, with 187 of those drones being successfully recovered.

He said that properties owned by large drug traffickers or large fish—caught with heroin weighing more than two kilograms—are also forfeited. Since the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann came to office, Punjab Police have forfeited 459 assets worth Rs 200 crores. Meanwhile, 559 more petitions to freeze properties worth Rs 246 crores are still pending with the relevant authorities, according to Spl DGP Arpit Shukla.

Approximately 4000 law enforcement officers from more than 500 police units have strategically marked off up to 392 drug hotspots. Around all the drug sites, up to 352 Strong Nakas were also laid.

Spl DGP Arpit Shukla reported that after making 254 arrests during the operation, the police teams filed 221 first information reports (FIRs). 4575 suspected people have also been examined by police teams, and their credentials have been confirmed.

He said that 2.6 kg of heroin, ₹15.71 lakh in drug money, 83 kg of poppy husk, 2.6 kg of ganja, 550 grams of opium, 7553 intoxication tablets, and a sizable amount of both illicit and legal alcohol and lahan had been found by police teams.