Even as political parties indulged in blame game over the drug issue in Punjab, authorities have seized drugs, liquor and other narcotics worth over Rs 800 crore since the announcement of elections.
Punjab goes to the polls tomorrow, with voting taking place in a single-phase for all the 13 parliamentary constituencies.
Since the election was announced on March 5, when the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, authorities have also seized a staggering amount of cash of over Rs 27 crore.
Drug trafficking and rampant drug abuse by Punjab's youth remained a major poll issue in the state which shares an almost 550-km boundary with Pakistan. Huge cache of drugs are routinely seized by BSF and other agencies along the border.
Punjab DGP Suresh Arora today said that the state police and paramilitary forces recovered heroin (155.756 kg), poppy husk (18,577 kg), opium (97.202 kgs), smack (2.492 kg), drug powder (42.933 kg), Lahan, raw material to make illicit liquor (60,156 kgs), illicit liquor (1,46,168.205 ltrs), capsules (1,43,917), tablets (2,15,896), syrup (3,799 bottles), country liquor (2,28,220 bottles) and arms (137).
Cash of Rs 27,11,54,996, was also seized, he said.
As many as 608 proclaimed offenders were also arrested during the period from March 5 till yesterday, the DGP said.
A total of 2,74,017 weapons were deposited by people in the state police stations, which are about 92 per cent of the total licensed weapons in the state, Arora said.
During electioneering, the ruling Akalis put the blame on influx of narcotics from across the border, while the main opposition Congress accused the SAD of providing political patronage to the drug smuggling racket.
