 "Punjab saw sharp decline in crime rate in 2022, shows state govt data")
The crime rate in Punjab saw a sharp decline in 2022, said the state government.
According to the official crime data of the state, the number of murders this year has reduced from 723 in 2021 to 654 in 2022 whereas kidnappings have decreased from 1,787 in 2021 to 1,645 in 2022.
Similarly, theft-related cases have also been reduced from 8,417 in 2021 to 8,407 in 2022 and cases related to the Excise Act have decreased from 10,745 in 2021 to 9,104 in 2022. The data also shows a significant decline in the total number of first information reports (FIRs) registered in the state from 73,581 in 2021 to 71,827 in 2022.
Inspector General of Police (IG) Sukhchain Singh Gill on Monday said that during 2022, the Internal Security has busted 18 terror modules with the arrest of 119 terrorists/radicals after recovering 43 Rifles, 220 revolvers/pistols, 13 tiffin Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 24.5 Kg RDX and other explosives, 37 hand grenades, two sleeves of disposed rocket launcher, 22 drones and 23 vehicles.
He said, similarly, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), since its formation on April 6, 2022, has succeeded in busting 111 gangster/criminal modules after arresting 428 gangsters or criminals and neutralising two, after recovering 411 weapons, 97 vehicles used in criminal activities, 44.21 kg heroin and Rs 1.30 crore cash.
Notably, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led state government formed a special Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) headed by ADGP Promod Ban to wipe out gangsters from the state.
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The IGP said from January 1 to December 20, 2022, five major incidents took place in Punjab including an IED blast at Police Post Kalwa, PS Noorpur Bedi, Ropar; RPG attack at Intelligence Headquarters building at Mohali; murder of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moosewala; killing of Bargari sacrilege accused Pardeep Kumar and RPG attack at Sarhali police station, Tarn Taran. Punjab Police have effectively solved all these major crimes, he added.
IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill, who has been holding weekly press conferences to update people on drug recovery, said the Punjab government is committed to making Punjab a drug-free state and extensive anti-drug drives have been launched by the Punjab Police to combat the menace of drugs from the border State.
Giving yearly updates on drugs, the IGP said that from January 1 to December 25, 2022, Punjab Police have arrested 16,798 drug smugglers/suppliers, including 2,316 big fish after registering 12,171 FIRs, including 1,374 commercials.
He said that police teams have recovered 582 kg heroin from across the state after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas besides laying nakas at vulnerable routes across the state.
Additionally, 147.5 Kg heroin was recovered by the teams of Punjab Police from Seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra, taking the total effective recovery of heroin to 729.5 kg in a year, he added.
Apart from seizing big haul of heroin, the IGP said that the Police have also recovered 690 kg opium, 1,396 Kg ganja, 518 quintals of poppy husk, and 60.13 lakh tablets /capsules/injections/vials of Pharma opioids from across the state.
Police also recovered Rs 11.59 crores of drug money from the possession of drug smugglers arrested this year.
He said that under the ongoing special drive to arrest Proclaimed Offenders (POs)/Absconders in NDPS cases, Punjab Police have arrested 955 POs/Absconders since January 1, 2022.