Chandigarh, July 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Tuesday urged the Union Government to strengthen surveillance along the international border to check cross-border drug smuggling.
Singh told the media that Punjab is being deliberately targeted because it shares an international border with Pakistan. While the Punjab government has deployed anti-drone systems and strengthened enforcement, border security is the responsibility of the Central government.
He added that advanced surveillance technology is available, and drones carrying drugs can certainly be intercepted if there is the political will to do so.
Speaking about the completion of 500 days of the government's 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' campaign, the minister also called upon the Centre to crack down on international drug syndicates and gangsters operating criminal networks from prisons outside Punjab.
He said the Centre must dismantle these organised criminal networks instead of allowing them to flourish, adding that Punjab is fighting this battle on behalf of the entire nation, and it deserves full cooperation from the Union Government.
He said the fight against drugs cannot be won by enforcement alone, and it requires public participation, compassion, rehabilitation and a collective commitment to protect the youth.
He added that the Bhagwant Mann government will continue this mission until Punjab becomes completely drug-free.
Regarding the campaign, he said the initiative, launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is focused on protecting the youth and securing the state's future through a systematic and holistic approach.
He said since the launch of the campaign on March 1, 2025, a total of 52,432 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered under the NDPS Act till date. More than 73,300 drug peddlers have been arrested across Punjab, including 621 big fishes caught with over two kg heroin.
He added that these figures reflect the seriousness with which the Bhagwant Mann government is dismantling the drug network.
Source: IANS
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