Punjab Police have arrested 3,949 people, including 42 gangsters and their associates and 1,201 drug smugglers, during a 16-day statewide intelligence-led enforcement drive, Operation Prahaar-3.0, launched under its ongoing “Gangstran Te Vaar” campaign against organised crime.Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the operation was conducted across all police ranges and commissionerates to target gangsters, their associates, drug traffickers and wanted criminals.Police teams carried out 5,448 raids by deploying 10,401 personnel, registered 958 FIRs, initiated preventive action against 1,520 persons and impounded 262 vehicles, he said.Yadav said the campaign aimed to dismantle the gangster-drug nexus, arrest proclaimed offenders and wanted accused, identify drug smugglers, and recover illegal arms, narcotics, illicit liquor, stolen property and crime-linked vehicles.”The ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign will continue with full force until Punjab is completely free of the gangster menace,” the DGP said.Special DGP (Law and Order) Praveen Sinha said those arrested included 42 gangsters and their associates, 1,201 drug smugglers and peddlers, 119 proclaimed offenders and 2,587 wanted accused.He said the police recovered 12 weapons, 10.47 kg heroin, 1.50 kg opium, 30 kg ganja, 259 kg poppy husk, 21,746 intoxicant tablets and capsules, 646.25 litres of lahan, 1,243.5 litres of illicit liquor, and Rs 4.03 lakh in drug money during the operation.Illegal firearms, ammunition, stolen vehicles, mobile phones and other incriminating material were also seized.Sinha said the operation also unearthed criminal modules involved in extortion, vehicle theft, illegal de-addiction centres, unlawful sale of pharmaceutical drugs and counterfeit liquor.According to the police, over 2,000 teams participated in the statewide drive under the direct supervision of Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police.Punjab Police also appealed to the public to share information about gangsters through the Anti-Gangster Helpline 93946-93946, assuring that informants’ identities would remain confidential.