By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore police has intensified its crackdown on professional beggars, arresting 2,663 individuals this year and registering 2,595 cases against them.
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According to a Lahore Police spokesman, those arrested include 2,549 men, 102 women, and 12 handlers.
CCPO Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana said the next phase of the operation will focus on the “big fish” — the contractors and ringleaders who run the begging mafias across the city. He added that intelligence-based raids will specifically target those using beggary as a cover for drug peddling and other crimes.
Kamyana further directed joint operations with the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau and the Social Welfare Department to rescue children forced into begging and ensure their rehabilitation.
Traffic police teams have also been instructed to keep beggars away from major roads and traffic signals. The CCPO urged citizens to support the campaign by reporting professional beggars through helpline 15.
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