Punjab Newsline,Chandigarh :
3,256 arrested in 72 hours, 80 fugitives also caught; share confidential tips on helpline 93946-93946
The 72-hour “Operation Prahar,” conducted as part of the first phase of the campaign ‘Gangsteraan Te Waar’ (War Against Gangsters), has achieved significant success. The campaign aims to make Punjab free from gangsters. Under this operation, police targeted the hideouts of associates based in Punjab who are linked to gangsters operating from abroad, in an effort to weaken their networks.
Punjab’s Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that ‘Gangsteraan Te Waar’ is a continuous campaign and will continue until gangsters are completely eliminated from the state. He stated that this action is a decisive step against criminals and strict action will continue in the same manner in the future.
Notably, on Tuesday, the Punjab DGP announced a war against gangsters and launched large-scale statewide action under the name “Operation Prahar.” Under this operation, more than 2,000 police teams consisting of 12,000 police personnel were deployed across Punjab. These teams carried out raids at identified and mapped locations connected to 60 foreign-based gangsters and arrested individuals linked to gangster networks.
Sharing the results of the three-day operation, Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said that a total of 4,871 people were detained across the state, out of which 3,256 were arrested. He said the action was far more successful than expected and produced excellent results.
The Special DGP informed that police recovered a large quantity of weapons and narcotics from those arrested. The seized items include 69 weapons, 6.5 kg heroin, 10.5 kg opium, 5,092 intoxicating tablets, 72 kg poppy husk, and ₹2.69 lakh in drug money.
He further stated that during the operation, 80 absconding criminals were also arrested, along with 25 preventive arrests. Police officials said this campaign was a surgical and intelligence-based operation aimed at breaking the gangsters’ logistics, financial, and communication networks.
The police department has appealed to citizens to actively support this campaign against organized crime. Special DGP Arpit Shukla said people can confidentially share information about wanted criminals and gangsters through the anti-gangster helpline number 93946-93946. Information related to crime and criminal activities can also be reported.
He also clarified that if a gangster is arrested based on information provided by someone, that person will be honored with a reward of up to ₹10 lakh. The police administration reiterated that the ‘Gangsteraan Te Waar’ campaign will continue until Punjab becomes completely gangster-free.