Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday said that the arrest of a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officer in a drug trafficking case shows the involvement of officers from other states in Punjab’s drug problem.
The statement came a day after the Amritsar police arrested a Central agency officer and seven others. Police recovered over 4 kg of heroin from them. The arrested DRI inspector is from Rohtak, Haryana.
Cheema, who also heads a Cabinet sub-committee to monitor the anti-drug campaign, said at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan that a full investigation will be carried out to find the leader of the gang. He assured strict legal action against all involved, no matter what their position is.
“The Punjab Government is doing its duty to stop cross-border drug smuggling, but the Union Government seems to be failing in its responsibility,” Cheema said.
Sharing details of the ongoing anti-drug campaign that began on March 1, Cheema informed that-3,279 cases have been filed under the NDPS Act and 5,537 people have been arrested in 41 days. Police have seized 212 kg of heroin, 6,945 kg of poppy husk, 105 kg of opium, 50 kg of ganja, 6 kg of charas, and nearly 9 lakh banned tablets and capsules. Rs 6 crore in cash has been recovered. Illegal properties of 57 drug smugglers have been demolished
The Finance Minister said the state will continue strong actions to make Punjab drug-free and punish those involved in the illegal trade.
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