Punjab policeman seen smoking heroin on camera, transferred

Punjab Police

A Punjab policeman was seen smoking heroin while somebody filmed him, media reports have said. A video of the policeman has allegedly gone viral on social media.

According to a report by NDTV, the policeman has been identified and appropriate action has been taken against him.

"We have immediately transferred him from security duty to police lines. We have also initiated departmental action against him," The Special Superintendent of Police, Hoshiarpur, told NDTV.

"We have started further investigation into this matter. Preliminary investigation revealed that he got admitted in a de-addiction centre by his family. The police are working on various angles to get this video investigated," he added.

Reports said that the said person is the gunman of a senior political leader based in Hoshiarpur. Punjab has been battling the problem with drugs and under the current "Yudh Nashian Virudh" anti-drugs campaign, 13,665 FIRs have been registered, 18,424 arrests made, and 900 kg heroin, 332 kg opium, 13 kg charas, 6 kg Crystal Methamphetamine (Ice) and Rs 11.5 crore drug money seized, since March 1, NDTV reported.

The report further said that over the last few years, the police have focused on end users who fall victims of the drug addiction and have been initiating ways to send them to de-addiction centres instead of prisons.

The NDTV report also says more than 10,000 users have been urged to enter residential rehabilitation programmes or register with OOAT (Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment) clinics.