10,000 cops transferred as Bhagwant Mann cracks down on Punjab drug mafia

He said several complaints had gone unheeded and, in some cases, the accused had been let off even before the complainants could return to their villages.

“There is a nexus at the munshi level. The SHOs are accused of sitting in the same police station for 10-20 years. That is why I ordered en masse transfers. If a police officer is found to have some nexus, he will be immediately dismissed from service. In the next seven days, his property will be confiscated and he will be investigated. If a police officer does this, it is a sin. He has to pay the price for this,” Mann said.

According to the CM, he got a drug seizure database prepared when the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections was in place. The period was the longest in Punjab because the state went to polls in the last phase on June 1, while the MCC came into effect March 16.

“During this time, I got a database prepared to check the flow of drugs to Punjab and where these packets were to be delivered. We have prepared a database of 9,000 suspects who were involved in the business of carting drugs. Do not be surprised when you see a huge number of arrests being made in the coming days,” he said, adding that police have identified at least 750 hotspots where drugs are sold.

DGP Yadav said, “We have carried out a massive rejig under the police rules that say no police officer can be posted at a place for more than nine years and also in his home district. We have now carried out this massive exercise. More transfers will be taking place in the coming days.”

The menace of drugs in Punjab has acquired worrying proportions with drugs being sold in even grocery stores, in village corners, and under overbridges in towns.

Mann said, “I have told the DGP to launch a crackdown on drugs. Now, we are working towards eliminating the menace. The peddlers will go to jail, their property will be confiscated and the drug addicts will be taken to hospitals. We have a plan for de-addiction and their rehabilitation.”

He said the number of police personnel in the state had been around 81,000 since 2002. “We need to increase the numbers. I have directed the DGP to create at least 10,000 police posts.”

Referring to the flow of drugs from across the border, he said, “Enemy countries are not only dropping drugs through drones in our territory but also pistols and money. We will also take strong action against gangsters.”

“I made it clear to the Deputy Commissioners yesterday that they will be held accountable. Now, I have made it clear to police personnel that this will not be tolerated. Also, I will not tolerate any black sheep in the police, who have a nexus with peddlers. I have told the police that we are working on a mission, not on commission.”