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Statewide crackdown targets overseas handlers, financial trails; 12,000 cops conduct coordinated raids.
Chandigarh: In a major offensive against organised crime, the Punjab Police on Tuesday launched Operation Prahar, targeting a network of 60 gangsters operating from abroad and their support base in the state. As part of the operation, police arrested 1,200 associates of gangsters across Punjab.
Announcing the drive, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said around 12,000 police personnel were deployed to carry out coordinated raids statewide, covering nearly 600 houses of gangsters’ family members and hundreds of suspected hideouts. The operation, he added, also extends to other regions where these gangsters are active.
“Our objective is to make Punjab free of gangster activity by dismantling the entire ecosystem that sustains organised crime,” the DGP said, adding that the crackdown followed a series of detailed brainstorming sessions and was initiated under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Call for surrender, zero tolerance for support.
DGP Yadav urged gangsters, their associates and sympathisers to surrender, assuring that the government would facilitate their reintegration into society. “The complete ecosystem of gangsters will be dismantled. Their financial trails will be exposed, and there will be zero tolerance for anyone aiding or abetting them,” he asserted.
Sending a strong message to fugitives operating from abroad, the DGP warned that they were not beyond the law’s reach. “With the support of the Government of India, we are tracking gangsters operating overseas. Their supporters within Punjab will also be dealt with strictly as per law,” he said.
Financial probe and internal accountability
On the financial front, the DGP said proceeds of crime would be closely scrutinised and properties linked to gangsters attached, on the lines of action taken against drug smugglers. He also underlined strict internal accountability, stating that any police official found assisting gangsters would be “treated as a gangster themselves.”
Reiterating zero tolerance for extortion, Yadav said all extortion calls and threats would be dealt with firmly and swiftly.
No political links found so far.
Flanked by Special DGP Arpit Shukla, Anti-Gangster Task Force chief Promod Ban, and IG Dr Sukhchain Singh, the DGP said that, so far, no links between politicians and gangsters had been established. “At this stage, no political connection has surfaced,” he said in response to a query.
Jail reforms and overseas fugitive tracking
The DGP also highlighted steps to strengthen jail security, including a ₹500 crore upgrade plan to install jammers, enhance surveillance, and install modern security systems in state prisons. Jail factories are being revamped to provide inmates with opportunities for gainful employment and rehabilitation.
To strengthen action against fugitives abroad, the Punjab Police has set up a dedicated Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC). IG Counter-Intelligence Ashish Choudhary, recently repatriated after a seven-year deputation with the National Investigation Agency, has been appointed to head the cell. The DGP said 21 Red Corner Notices have already been issued against absconding gangsters.
With Operation Prahar, the Punjab Police signalled an intensified, multi-pronged push to break the backbone of organised crime in the state—on the streets, in financial networks, inside jails, and across international borders.
