515 gangsters have been arrested while 30 are yet to be arrested, Punjab DGP VK Bhawra said.
Punjab Director General of Police VK Bhawra on Monday said the police will intensify action against gangsters and a task force has been set up to deal with crimes committed by them.
He noted that the police had identified 545 gangsters and categorised them as 'A', 'B' and 'C', of which 515 have been arrested while 30 are yet to be arrested.
To intensify action against gangster, a dedicated task force has already been set up by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
This will exclusively deal with gangster-related crime, the DGP said, adding that the task force is headed by ADGP rank officer. He said in 2021, 724 murders were committed, which means 60 murders every month, while in 2020, 757 murders were committed, translating into 65 murders every month, he said.
"Crime data clearly shows this trend is not increasing, but it has marginally decreased. But we have to bring it down further," he said.
Of the 158 murder this year so far in Punjab, six cases were those in which gangster angle was there. "When these cases were registered, they were blind murder cases, but police traced these cases during detailed investigation. So far, 24 accused have been arrested in these six cases. seven pistols and seven vehicles have been recovered in these cases," he said Bhawra further said at least in four cases, crimes related to gangsters has been prevented.
"This year so far, at least in four cases, we have prevented four crimes which could have resulted in kidnapping for ransom or killing of an immigration agent," Bhawra told a news conference at Punjab police headquarters here. Of the remaining cases this year so far, he said nine cases which have been traced involved family dispute, matrimonial dispute and personal rivalry angles.