Lahore: Under the supervision of Inspector General of Police Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar, the Punjab Police have ramped up their intelligence-based targeted anti-narcotics operations across the province. This initiative is part of the broader “Drug-Free Punjab” campaign aimed at eradicating the drug menace from the region.

According to Punjab Police spokesperson, in a notable enforcement surge, 287 raids were conducted on drug dens located in Lahore and other parts of the province within a single day. These operations led to the arrest of 120 individuals accused of drug-related offenses. Concurrently, 117 cases were registered against these suspects. The police successfully confiscated substantial quantities of illegal substances, including 90 kilograms of charas, 3 kilograms of heroin, 10 kilograms of opium, and 1,405 liters of alcohol.

The Punjab Police spokesperson further detailed that since the beginning of the crackdown in February, a total of 18,459 raids have been executed province-wide. These extensive efforts have resulted in the arrest of 22,477 individuals implicated in the narcotics trade, and the registration of 23,048 cases. Law enforcement agencies have seized 14,667 kilograms of charas, 291 kilograms of heroin, 433 kilograms of opium, 109 kilograms of ice (crystal meth), and more than 1.762 million liters of alcohol throughout the campaign.

IG Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar, has directed for an even greater intensification of these special operations against drug dealers and smugglers. He emphasized the importance of targeted actions against the transactions, online distribution, and consumption of contemporary drugs. Additionally, Dr. Anwar mandated daily search and combing operations around educational institutions and hostels to dismantle the drug supply networks and ensure that all involved are apprehended and subjected to stringent legal consequences.