Berhampur, May 18: To strengthen law and order and tighten the crackdown on criminals, Ganjam police have launched a special drive across the district. Acting on the directions of Subhendu Kumar Patra, special teams formed by different police stations have intensified raids against absconding offenders.

During the 11-day operation, police arrested 444 warrant absconders who had been evading arrest in various criminal cases for a long period.

Among the police stations, Polasara recorded the highest number of arrests with 44 absconders held, followed by Khalikote (33), Purushottampur (30), Tarasingi (29), Gangapur (26), and Chhatrapur and Hinjili with 25 arrests each.

At the sub-divisional level, 89 accused were arrested in Chhatrapur subdivision, 111 in Purushottampur, 109 in Aska, and 135 in Bhanjanagar subdivision.

Police said the arrested persons were involved in cases related to theft, robbery, assault, and other criminal activities, while many had also failed to appear before courts for a long time.

The district police said the special drive against criminals will continue under a zero-tolerance policy, and the operation will be intensified further in the coming days.