Punjab is facing three major challenges, including terrorism, organized crime, and narcotics, due to its proximity to Pakistan. The state police is actively combating these challenges in response to the proxy war waged by the neighboring country. This was stated by Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav while inaugurating an office of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in Jalandhar.
Mr. Yadav stated that the number of small arms shipments across the border via drones has increased by 400% after Operation Sindoor.
The police chief said that foreign-based recruiters are using social media and personal contact to recruit young people between the ages of 18 and 30 to commit crimes in the state. He said that most of these young people are dropouts and are committing crimes for money. He cautioned the youth not to fall victim to these anti-social elements.
Regarding the regular emails received about planning bomb attacks at various schools and other important locations in Punjab, Mr. Yadav said that these are mainly hoax emails. However, the police are taking them seriously. He revealed that the Punjab Police has identified some computer servers sending these emails to Bangladesh and is working with central and international agencies to locate them.
Meanwhile, he said that the specialized ANTF unit set up in Jalandhar will significantly enhance the ability to identify key drug traffickers and dismantle interstate and international drug syndicates operating in Punjab. This is the second such unit after Patiala, and two more will be set up in Ludhiana and Ferozepur within a few months.