LAHORE: Punjab’s law enforcement agencies carried out several operations over the past day. Lahore police arrested a known drug dealer with 2.5 kilograms of charas and caught a man accused of beating security guards at a petrol pump. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested two people over social media posts. The prisons department suspended 16 officers and staff on corruption grounds.
Police in Lahore have stepped up their crackdown on drug dealers on the orders of DIG Operations Faisal Kamran. Acting on a tip-off, Hair police arrested Shahbaz, described as a notorious drug dealer, while he was delivering drugs during a patrol.
According to DIG Operations Faisal Kamran, 2.5 kilograms of charas were recovered from him. SP Cantt Atif Ameer said the suspect told investigators he ordered drugs online and supplied them to different locations in suburban areas.
Police said intelligence-based operations are under way to arrest his accomplices. A case has been registered, and the suspect has been handed to the investigation wing. Faisal Kamran said operations against drugs would continue across the city without exception. The delivery model Shahbaz described matches a network recently exposed supplying Lahore’s upscale areas.
Petrol Pump Attacker Traced to Rawalpindi
South Cantonment police arrested Muhammad Rizwan in Rawalpindi and recovered a weapon from him. He is accused of attacking security guards and workers at a petrol pump on Lahore’s Airport Road.
According to a spokesperson for the DIG Operations, the suspect and an accomplice beat a security guard and workers at the pump, then drew a weapon and threatened to kill them. A case was registered against him at South Cantonment police station. Police said they traced him using modern technology and evidence.
Raids are under way to arrest the second suspect. Rizwan has been handed to the investigation wing for further questioning. CCTV footage of the attack had spread widely on social media before the arrest.
NCCIA Arrests Two Over Social Media Content
The NCCIA arrested two people in Bahawalpur and Multan, acting on the directions of its Punjab director. They are accused of spreading misleading and hateful content against state institutions on social media.
The agency said Muhammad Imran Siddique was arrested in the Abbas Nagar area of Bahawalpur on charges of sharing misleading content on Instagram. Muhammad Rasheed Jabbar was arrested in Multan on charges of spreading content against state institutions and government officers on Facebook.
Officials said two Android phones and the related social media accounts were recovered from the suspects. Forensic analysis of digital evidence from their accounts is under way, and both are being questioned further. Both men are accused, and the charges have not been proved in court.
The NCCIA took over cybercrime enforcement from the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing. It works under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Digital rights groups have questioned how PECA’s speech-related provisions are used, while the government says they are needed to counter disinformation. The agency has also recently acted in cyber harassment and blackmail cases.
16 Prison Officials Suspended
The Punjab Prisons Department has suspended 16 officers and staff over corruption, malpractice and irregularities in various jails. Departmental inquiries have begun against them. Staff from jails in Gujranwala, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan and other districts are among those affected.
Inspector General of Prisons Punjab Mian Salik Jalal announced a zero-tolerance policy on corruption. He said negligence of duty and misuse of authority would not be tolerated. Anyone involved in corruption or abuse of power would face departmental action regardless of rank, and complaints would be acted on immediately.
Accountability in the department has been tightened at every level, from superintendents to warders. The IG said there would be no compromise on transparency, accountability and discipline.
The suspensions come as the department brings in a real-time digital dashboard to monitor inmates and compliance and follows the Chief Minister’s wider crackdown on corrupt officials.
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