Chandigarh (TIP)- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered the transfer of at least 10,000 police personnel in an unprecedented move to crack down on the drug menace in the state. Chief Minister Mann said that the transfers were made because several police personnel were part of the drug pedlar nexus.
He said that because of the nexus, many of the accused have been let off the hook, and the complaints against them had been ignored for many years. “Many of the Moharrir head constables (MHC), station house officers (SHO), and constables have been stationed at the same police station for many years and have formed a nexus with the drug smugglers there. They manipulate the procedures to save the accused. I have asked the Director General of Police (DGP) to immediately order mass transfers,” Bhagwant Mann said.
A major rejig within the police department left the cops fuming. Speaking with India Today, former Punjab DGP (Prisons) Shashi Kant said that the state government’s decision can backfire as merely transferring the cops will not solve the reigning drug menace in the state.
“While there is no denying the fact that there are black sheep within the police force, all cops are not corrupt. Similar action was required in the jails, which have become dens of drugs. The government should have first identified the tainted cops before ordering the transfers,” Shashi Kant said.
While confirming the transfer orders, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Border Range Rakesh Kaushal said that linking the transfers with the drug problem is wrong.
“The decision to order transfers was made in 2020 but was delayed and is now being implemented. These transfers are administrative and not related to the alleged involvement of cops in drug smuggling,” said Rakesh Kaushal.
Meanwhile, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav has said that the police seized the properties owned by drug smugglers worth Rs 200 crore in the last two years.
Apart from identifying the 750 hotspots, DGP Gaurav said that the State Task Force (STF) and the intelligence wing have prepared a list of 9,000 street-level pedlars.
Despite the Punjab Police’s claims of taking strict action against drug smuggling, criminals have expanded their networks. Using drones and sea routes, smugglers are increasing drug supplies within the state. Addressing the media, Bhagwant Mann stated that drugs were coming from Gujarat, which is under investigation.
In 2023, the BSF and Punjab Police downed or recovered 107 drones used for drug transport. Drug seizures in Punjab have increased fivefold over the past seven years, from 179 kg in 2017 to 1,346 kg in 2023. Source: India Today