More than 280 drug addicts have been sent to de-addiction centres as part of the Punjab government's approach to rehabilitate them, a senior police official said on Tuesday.
Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said the state government is focusing on bringing the people trapped in the vicious drug menace back into the mainstream.
"More drug consumers are coming forward to avail the provision of section 64-A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by pledging to undergo rehabilitation treatment,” Gill said.
As many as 282 drug consumers are undergoing treatment at de-addiction centres, he said.
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The state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy of ‘enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation' to eradicate drugs from the state.
As part of the strategy, the Punjab Police has been promoting and creating awareness about section 64-A of the NDPS Act, which provides an opportunity for a drug consumer caught with a few grams of heroin or narcotic powder for rehabilitation instead of sending them to prison.
The IGP, however, said the crackdown against big drug smugglers is also ongoing, with Punjab Police arresting 141 drug smugglers and suppliers after registering 109 FIRs in the last week.
Police recovered 19.4 kg heroin, 8.3 kg opium, and 25.23 quintals of poppy husk, among other items.
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He said with six more proclaimed offenders in drug cases arrested in the last week, the total number of arrests reached 1,260 since the special drive to nab them was started on July 5, 2022.
Giving details on the disposal of drugs from January 1 to 15, Gill said different fields and special units of Punjab Police destroyed over 523 kg heroin, 79.92 quintals of poppy husk, 298 kg ganja and 17.57 lakh narcotic pills and capsules under the supervision of a drug disposal committees of contraband by burning them in incinerators following proper procedure.
Police also forfeited 263 properties worth Rs 111 crore of big smugglers since the formation of the government, while nine more proposals to forfeit properties worth Rs 3.60 crores are pending with the competent authority.
