Patiala, April 11 -- The Patiala range has recorded a conviction rate of 93.4% in cases tried under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act since January 1, officials said, adding that the development comes amid an intensified crackdown on drug smuggling by the state government.

They said the crackdown, spearheaded in Patiala range by deputy inspector general (DIG) Mandeep Singh Sidhu, covers Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala and Malerkotla districts.

Addressing the media at police lines, DIG Sidhu said that out of 228 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 212 culminated in convictions. He attributed the success rate to the robust investigations and co-ordinated prosecution efforts.

He said th...