CHANDIGARH: Hours before the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Punjab to address an anti-drug rally in Jalandhar, State Police dismantled three drug trafficking and illegal arms supply networks in Amritsar with the arrest of five individuals and recovery of over 13 pistols, 22 live cartridges and three kg of heroin.
The recoveries were made during separate operations in the jurisdiction of the D-Division and Chheharta police stations, and separate FIRs have been registered. Further investigation is in progress.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, while sharing the information in a post on X, wrote, "Preliminary investigation reveals that the arrested accused are involved in the supply of illegal weapons and narcotics. Further investigation is underway to uncover the complete backwards and forward linkages and identify other persons involved, including foreign-based handlers. @PunjabPoliceInd remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking and illegal arms networks and making Punjab a safe & drug-free state.’’
Notably, on Tuesday, Punjab Police had dismantled an illegal arms and narcotics supply network with the arrest of three persons—including a woman, her husband and her brother who had taken on lease a guava orchard in a village situated merely 500 meters from the Indo-Pak international border fence. They allegedly utilised it as a landing and retrieval site for drug and weapons consignments dropped via drones from across the border.
Significantly, while Amit Shah is addressing the rally at Jalandhar, the approaching roads to the venue have been lined with hoardings welcoming Amit Shah, but much to the annoyance of BJP leaders, anti-BJP hoardings have also been interspersed among them.
The hoardings erected along highways connecting Jalandhar with Pathankot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Kapurthala and other peripheral towns question the BJP-led Union Government over its alleged inability to check the supply of drugs being routed into Punjab from the Gujarat border.
One of the posters carries a message in Punjabi, "There is a question for BJP. Why is it getting drug trafficking done from Gujarat to Punjab?’’
A poster questions the BJP’s stand on Punjab’s water-sharing issues with Haryana and Rajasthan.
Featuring a picture of Amit Shah, one of them asks, "Why does BJP want to offer Punjab’s waters to Haryana and Rajasthan?”
Punjab BJP General Secretary Anil Sarin said that they suspect it to be the handiwork of the Aam Aadmi Party.
"The ruling government is badly frustrated, and it has failed to check the 'home delivery' of narcotics in the state. Also, on the water-sharing issue, they should first ask Arvind Kejriwal about it instead of asking a question to Amit Shah,’’ he said.
