Punjab Police to break supply chain of drugs with BSF

Chandigarh, Aug 18 (IANS) The Punjab Police on Friday chalked out a strategy with the Border Security Force (BSF) to break the supply chain of drugs and to counter the drone operations on Punjab borders, which have emerged as the new modus operandi to smuggle drugs from across the border. 

Special Director General of Police Arpit Shukla along with BSF's Inpector General (Frontier Headquarters) Atul Fulzele held a joint coordination-cum-review meeting in Jalandhar where senior officials of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and other central agencies were also present. 

Shukla said it was high time that both the forces should work as one team and activate good old human intelligence by gathering and sharing real-time information. 

He said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had already sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in border areas to further strengthen the second line of defence and keep vigil against drug smugglers and anti-social elements. 

Additionally, Rs 10 crore are being spent to strengthen the police infrastructure, including police stations, he said, while adding additional police force and vehicles are also being provided to the border police. 

The Special DGP ordered the DIG Border range and the DIG Ferozepur range to direct SSPs and other gazetted rank officers of border districts to ensure staying overnight in the border villages at least once or twice in a month as part of the confidence-building measure. 

He also issue directions to identify and forfeit properties of big narco smugglers caught with commercial quantity of drugs. 

This year 30 properties of Rs 12.99 crore were seized and forfeited by Punjab Police, he added.