Chandigarh, Aug. 14 -- Punjab Police have beefed up the security across the state, and all the field units have been directed to remain on high alert in the wake of Independence Day celebrations. According to an official spokesman, police teams conducted flag marches at all the sensitive areas in all the 28 police districts simultaneously, followed by cordon and search operations at all the vulnerable spots. Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said that police teams led by CPs/SSPs conducted flag marches in the sensitive and vulnerable areas of their respective districts. He said railway stations, bus stands, markets, shopping malls, public parks, etc, were covered. Apart from this, cops have continued their cordon and search operation (CASO) against drugs on Day 165, and conducted raids at 374 locations on Wednesday, leading to the arrest of 73 drug smugglers after registration of 53 FIRs across the state. With this, the total number of drug smugglers arrested has reached 25,719 within 165 days. The Special DGP said that the raids have resulted in the recovery of 2.4 kg of heroin and Rs.42,800 drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann will hoist the national flag on Independence Day at a state-level function to be held in Faridkot. A spokesperson of the CM's office said Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan will hoist the national flag at Ferozepur, deputy speaker Jai Kishan Rouri at Fazilka, finance minister Harpal Cheema at Rupnagar, new and renewable energy minister Aman Arora at Ludhiana, social justice minister Dr Baljit Kaur at SBS Nagar, industry minister Sanjeev Arora at Sangrur, health minister Dr Balbir Singh at Amritsar and housing and urban development minister Hardeep Singh Mundian at Gurdaspur. Other ministers have also been assigned areas to mark the day....