NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s Southeast district has conducted “Operation Aaghat 2.0” — a crackdown on organised crime and habitual criminals — arresting around 500 people and recovering weapons, liquor, and narcotic substances, officials said on Thursday.
Launched under the supervision of Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Sanjay Jain and led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari, the coordinated operation involved over 600 police personnel across the district, the officer said.
“A total of 130 people were arrested under the Arms Act, Delhi Excise Act, NDPS Act, and Public Gambling Act, 360 people under preventive action drives, and 64 bad characters apprehended in targeted operations, many of whom have a history of street crime,” the DCP Tiwari said.
Tiwari further stated that the police seized 31 weapons under the Arms Act, 5,826 quarters of illegal liquor, 5.527 kg of ganja, Rs 1.85 lakh in cash from gamblers, and 163 vehicles under Section 66 of the Delhi Police Act. The Delhi Police said it is ensuring citizen safety by cracking down on organised crime, drug peddlers, bootleggers, and habitual criminals. In line with this mission, Operation Aaghat 2.0 was launched by the Southeast district police as part of a sustained and proactive strategy to combat criminal elements and curb street crime effectively.
“This operation is a continuation of Operation Aaghat 1.0, which was successfully conducted on September 20. From now on, Operation Aaghat will be conducted every month to systematically break the backbone of habitual criminals and dismantle organised criminal syndicates across the capital,” the DCP further said.
“This time, more dens of gamblers were busted, leading to the recovery of Rs 1.85 lakh, compared to Rs 78,350 recovered during Aaghat 1.0. Under preventive measures, stringent action was taken against 524 people, compared to 294 during Aaghat 1.0,” Tiwari added.
The key objectives of the operation are to uproot organised crime flourishing in jhuggi clusters, deter and prevent criminal activities in residential areas, prevent any untoward incidents during the festive season, ensure the safety of every citizen, build public trust in the police, and help habitual or budding criminals abandon illegal activities and follow the path of non-recidivism, the DCP said.
With these proactive policing measures — including high-visibility patrolling, intensive vehicle checks, and enhanced night surveillance — the Southeast district has achieved a 20 per cent reduction in PCR calls related to street crime over the past month, Tiwari added.
