Chandigarh, June 16 —Chandigarh Police have arrested 141 smugglers, including 21 women, in the first six months of 2025 — crackdown against drug trade — a figure that already surpasses the 133 arrests made in all of last year.
The intensified campaign is part of a sustained push to transform Chandigarh into the country’s first drug-free city, a goal declared by Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, who earlier vowed “zero tolerance” for smugglers and all involved in narcotics trafficking.
On May 3, over two lakh students joined a mass anti-drug walk and pledge event in Chandigarh, held in the presence of Punjab and Haryana Chief Ministers Bhagwant Mann and Nayab Saini.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur said on Sunday the police’s ongoing operations are rooted in a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy. “This approach blends rigorous enforcement with preventive education, rehabilitative support and community-based interventions to create a sustainable and holistic response to the problem,” Kaur told The Tribune.
A 2013-batch IPS officer from the Punjab cadre and Chandigarh’s second woman SSP, Kaur emphasized that the success stemmed from coordinated efforts across law enforcement, intelligence, legal, and social outreach components.
From January 1 to June 12, police registered 71 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, leading to the recovery of a significant cache of narcotics: nearly 2 kg of heroin, 2 kg of poppy husk, 32 kg of ganja, 3 kg of charas, 227 grams of opium, 74 grams of cocaine, 48 cocaine balls, 16 crack balls with synthetic drugs, 61 grams of ‘Ice’ (a popular party drug), habit-forming tablets and injections, and over ₹17 lakh in drug money.
“In three major NDPS cases, we have also seized properties worth ₹4 crore belonging to 14 narco offenders and their families,” the SSP said, noting that these seizures are part of the state’s strategy to dismantle financial networks supporting the trade.
So far, investigations into 12 FIRs have led to the arrest of 36 individuals, with supply chain linkages unearthed through meticulous forward and backward tracing, she said.
Under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PITNDPS), nine habitual offenders — six men and three women — have been identified for preventive detention. Proposals for their detention were submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), of which three have been approved, four are under further investigation, and two are under review.
Additionally, draft proposals are being prepared for five more smugglers, including two women. “There has been a notable increase in drug seizures, reflecting enhanced vigilance and operational efficiency,” Kaur added.
The SSP affirmed that while enforcement remains central, long-term success also hinges on rehabilitation and awareness. “We are working with communities to ensure this campaign is not just about arrests — it’s about reform, prevention and building resistance to drug abuse at the grassroots,” she said.
