Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur
The health department has launched a sweeping crackdown on chemist shops in Ferozepur following the death of four youths due to drug abuse in Lakho Ke Behram village under Mamdot block. Acting swiftly, officials carried out extensive raids across the district, sealing at least six outlets and recovering massive quantities of banned psychotropic drugs.
Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma, while talking to media persons, said the raids were being personally monitored by her and would continue at other suspected locations. During inspections in Lakho Ke Behram, five chemist shops were sealed and large stocks of Dicylomine tablets and Olanzaprine were seized.
Later in the evening, a joint team comprising Harita Bansal, District Drug Control Officer (DCO), Ramandeep Gupta, DCO Muktsar, and Naib Tehsildaar Parampal Singh raided Khurana Medical Agency in Multani Gate and seized 1.18 lakh Pregabalin tablets and 7 lakh Tapentadol tablets, besides recovering Rs 2.70 lakh drug money and a currency counting machine. Officials said the firm was not authorised to stock these drugs, and the outlet has since been sealed.
The DC said that in the past nine months, 207 inspections of chemist shops have led to the recovery of drugs worth Rs 1.32 crore. Licenses of 12 chemists have been cancelled and 65 suspended, she added. “We will not tolerate any malpractice. Licenses will be thoroughly checked, and joint raids with the police will ensure strict action against violators,” she asserted.
Meanwhile, SSP Bhupinder Singh highlighted the police’s intensified campaign “Yudh Nasheya Virudh,” claiming fourfold success in drug seizures and arrests compared to previous periods. Over the last six months, police have seized 210 kg heroin, arrested 1,409 smugglers, and recovered drug money worth Rs 87.48 lakh. In the past two days alone, two smugglers were nabbed with 2.106 kg heroin, Rs 1.90 lakh cash, a mobile phone, and 26 SIM cards.
“The fight against drugs is being carried out on war footing. Police is committed to wiping out this menace from the border district,” the SSP said.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier on Wednesday, four youths, all in their mid-twenties died within a period of 48 hours in Lakho ke Behram village situated on Ferozepur-Fazilka road which had triggered outrage amidst the family members and villagers. While one youth identified as Sandeep Singh (28) had died on Tuesday, three more identified as Ramandeep Singh alias Rajan (20) , Umed Singh (23), and Randeep Singh (21), all residents of Lakho ke Behram only, had died over a span of few hours on Wednesday leaving their families shattered.
While the villagers attributed the cause of deaths to prolonged drug addiction, the police officials maintained that two dead were almost bedridden for last few months, and died following deteriorating health conditions.
Photo Caption : Large quantity of tablets and capsules seized by the police during a raid at a medical agency in Ferozepur today.