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Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav on Friday asserted that there is no place for gangsters and organised crime in Punjab and warned criminals that Punjab Police will track and arrest them from anywhere in the country
Speaking to the media during his visit to Batala, DGP Gaurav Yadav said that after holding detailed brainstorming sessions with senior officers and the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab government has launched a multi-pronged legal strategy to eliminate gangster activities and organised crime across the state. He mentioned that the Punjab Police has intensified operations under its anti-gangster campaign and is targeting the entire criminal ecosystem, including finances, logistics, safe houses, weapon supply chains and communication networks. The DGP revealed that the Punjab Police has successfully traced and arrested several accused from different parts of the country, including Kolkata, Raipur, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Silchar and West Bengal. He said a special cell headed by an IG-rank officer has been formed to coordinate with central agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities to bring back criminals operating from abroad. Sharing details of recent operations, DGP Gaurav Yadav said that during "Operation Farar", launched earlier, around 12,000 police personnel conducted raids at nearly 2,000 locations. So far, about 8,671 suspects have been rounded up, out of which 3,721 have been arrested. After verification, 344 individuals were released. The police also arrested 248 proclaimed offenders and recovered illegal arms, vehicles and other incriminating material. Highlighting the ongoing war against drugs, he said that nearly 100 kilograms of heroin were recovered in Amritsar district in the past two days, including a major 43-kilogram recovery with the help of Village Defence Committees. He added that another significant heroin recovery of over 51 kilograms has also been made recently. DGP Gaurav Yadav emphasised that the entire campaign is being conducted strictly under legal procedures and urged people not to fall for rumours or misinformation. Yadav assured that every arrest is made in accordance with the law and through proper investigation. Appealing to the youth, he urged them to stay away from crime and not fall into the trap of gangsters abroad who lure them into criminal activities. He said the Punjab government is also focusing on skill development and on promoting industries in border areas to provide employment opportunities for youth. The DGP also announced the launch of an anti-gangster helpline number, 93939-39394, urging citizens to share information confidentially. He said informer identities will be kept confidential and that strict action will be taken based on the information received. He further said that the Punjab government has introduced a reward policy under the NDPS Act, offering incentives to both the public and police officials. Informers can receive rewards for information leading to heroin recovery, while investigating officers will also be rewarded for successful convictions and property seizures related to drug trafficking. DGP Yadav reiterated that the Punjab Police is fully committed to maintaining peace, harmony and security in the state. He also alleged that Pakistan's ISI is attempting to destabilise Punjab through proxy activities, but assured that the Punjab Police is fully prepared to counter every such attempt. Concluding his address, he said that, with the support of the public, the Punjab Police is determined to eliminate gangsterism and organised crime from the state and to make Punjab safe and peaceful once again. (ANI)
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