DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

In order to ensure peaceful celebrations of forthcoming Independence Day-2024 as desired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police has heightened the security across the state and a special operation 'OPS Seal-VII' aimed at checking all the vehicles entering or exiting the border state of Punjab was conducted on Saturday.

The operation aimed at keeping vigil around the movement of drug traffickers/bootleggers and other anti-social elements was conducted in a synchronised manner from 7 am to 1 pm on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.

Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that all the SSPs of Border districts were directed to organise joint Naka operations at strategic places of the border districts and mobilise a maximum number of manpower to lay strong 'nakas' at sealing points under the supervision of Gazetted officers/SHOs.

He said that well-coordinated strong nakas involving over 1100 Police Personnel were set up under the supervision of Inspectors/DSPs at around 91 entry/exit points of 10 districts, which share boundaries with four border states and UT Chandigarh. The 10 inter-state border districts include Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Ropar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.

During the operation, he said that a thorough search of suspected vehicles/persons was conducted while ensuring minimum inconvenience to the general public. Besides checking the vehicles, Police teams have also verified their registration numbers using the VAHAN mobile app, he added.

The Special DGP said that as many as 3668 vehicles entering/exiting the state were checked, of which 139 were challaned and 12 were impounded. The Police have also registered 14 first information reports (FIRs) after arresting 14 persons. The police teams have also rounded up 431 suspicious persons for questioning.

He said that during the checking, Patiala Police has got a major achievement with the arrest of a weapon smuggler identified as Tarun, a resident of Shri Ganga Nagar in Rajasthan, when he was on the way to deliver the weapon consignment. Police teams have recovered four .32 bore pistols along with magazines from his possession, he said, while adding that further investigations are on.

Meanwhile, such operations help in showing the police presence in the field, besides, infusing fear among anti-social elements and instilling a sense of security among common people.
(editor@dailyworld.in)