Punjab Police, STF intensify crackdown on drug dealers, their relatives' properties

In a significant escalation of efforts to combat drug-related crime, Punjab Police and the Special Task Force (STF) have initiated intensified actions against drug dealers and extended their focus to the properties owned by their relatives as well.

Ludhiana(Punjab): Punjab Police and the Special Task Force (STF) have attached worth Rs 7 crore of properties of drug dealers and their relatives in four different districts within the Ludhiana range such as Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Rupnagar.

IPS Kaustubh Sharma, the IG Range and STF in-charge of Ludhiana, said, "Ludhiana range has successfully seized assets valued at nearly Rs 5 crore from seven major drug dealers. Notable cases include the attachment of property worth Rs 1 crore 80 lakh belonging to Jasdev Singh, Gurdev Singh's sister Narinder Pal Kaur, and Kuldeep Kaur. Also, STF has acted relentlessly, recovering 20 kg of heroin across 24 cases and attaching properties worth Rs 3 crore 80 lakh in seven distinct instances.

According to Kaustubh Sharma, authorities have registered an impressive 758 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, leading to the arrest of 1,037 drug smugglers over the past year. The confiscated contraband includes approximately 13 kg of heroin, 2,000 kg of poppy husk, 160 kg of opium, and around 140,000 drug pills.

"We have also attached properties held in the names of relatives or family members under Section 68 of the NDPS Act, which empowers the police to attach properties accrued by a drug trafficker or their relatives within the past six years", Kaustubh Sharma said.

The IG further informed that the Punjab Police and the Centre have adopted measures to ensure the safety of informants reporting drug peddlers. Informants receive rewards for their contributions, which motivates the dismantling of the drug trade cycle. Kaustubh Sharma also emphasized the broader societal message behind these actions, aiming to deter individuals from choosing illicit gains over ethical conduct.