The district police has seized 8,000 litre liquor which was illegally smuggled into the state since the imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) on January 8. The police has also recovered 16,000 banned tablets at various nakas set up by the police on the borders of the district. According to officials, apart from the liquor and banned tablets, the police have recovered 1 kg opium, 2 kg heroin and 27 kg poppy husk in the district. Mohali’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harjeet Singh told The Indian Express that the recoveries of drugs and liquor were made at the special nakas in the district. He added that the district being a transit point of different states is vulnerable as it shares borders with other states. “We have 40 road stretches which connect the district with other states. Our teams along with para-military teams have set up nakas round the clock. Six companies of paramilitary forces have already landed in the district and are working in close co-ordination with the district police,” SSP Harjeet Singh said. Asked about the district police’s action against anti-social elements, the SSP said that the police had arrested 25 proclaimed offenders (POs) since January 8 and the hunt was on to nab the people who could be troublemakers in the elections. On the property defacement cases, the SSP said that a total of 14 FIRs had been registered so far against the people under the Property Defacement Act and he had directed all the Station House Officers (SHOs) to take action in case they receive any complaint of MCC violation. About the weapons deposited, the SSP said that out of a total of 7,796 weapons, around 92 per cent had been deposited. “Five per cent weapon owners are exemptees. Most of the weapons have been deposited,” the SSP added. The SSP said that they had also started a training programme for the police officials for their poll duties. “Our GOs (gazetted officers) are training their subordinates. The police personnel are being trained to perform their poll duties,” he said.
