In late-night op, cops comb hundreds of hideouts, weed out 955 criminals
The police inspected 609 hotels and lodges, which resulted in the identification of 955 individuals with criminal records and immediate action was taken against 236 of them. Representation pic
With tension over posters of Uddhav Thackeray and Aurangzeb that briefly surfaced in Mahim, the city police amplified its monthly crackdown on crime to weed out “anti-social elements”, on Saturday night. Led by the commissioner and other senior officers, the cops combed out 955 individuals involved in drugs, theft and other cases, and also made fresh arrests, police said.
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Speaking with mid-day, Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar reassured the public that all necessary measures have been implemented to safeguard the city. “Mumbai police are putting forth extensive efforts to apprehend criminals and guarantee the safety and security of the people of Mumbai,” he said.
As part of ‘Operation All Out’, cops conducted 295 combing operations across the city between 11 pm on Saturday and 2 am on Sunday under the guidance of Phansalkar and Special Commissioner Deven Bharti. Several high-ranking officers, including 13 zonal deputy commissioners of police (DCPs), five additional commissioners and special branch officers, were present during the operation.
An officer said Operation All Out is conducted monthly, but due to recent reports of tensions and riots in various parts of Maharashtra, special attention was given to targeting anti-social elements this time.
Drugs cases
The police inspected 609 hotels and lodges, which resulted in the identification of 955 individuals with criminal records and immediate action was taken against 236 of them. On top of their priority targets was the issue of narcotics supply.
The officers conducted a re-examination of 394 individuals accused in drug cases, resulting in the registration of 19 new cases under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act and the arrest of 28 suspects. Moreover, strict action was taken against 84 individuals caught consuming banned narcotics substances.
Theft, robbery cases
The officers took action against 48 individuals following the examination of 323 people accused of robbery and theft. These 48 individuals had been externed from Mumbai, but were illegally staying within the city limits.
During the operation, approximately 77 non-bailable warrants were issued and 26 cases involving illegal weapons were registered, resulting in the arrest of 28 suspects.
The city traffic police assisted in the operation by setting up nakabandi at some 105 locations throughout Mumbai. This also resulted in action against 5,927 vehicles for traffic-related violations.