Chandigarh, July 20: Punjab Police reported major progress in its anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh, attaching drug-linked assets worth 319 crore rupees and arresting over 68,850 traffickers during its first 500 days. The state-wide initiative relies on a strategy combining strict legal enforcement, public participation, and preventive education to disrupt illicit supply lines.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav stated that police forces registered 52,432 cases under the NDPS Act since the campaign launched in March 2025. He affirmed that enforcement teams apprehended 629 major cartel operators found with large commercial quantities of heroin. In tandem with strict law enforcement, the state government offered legal immunity to 10,917 individuals under Section 64A of the NDPS Act, directing them toward medical treatment and rehabilitation centers rather than criminal prosecution.
Anti-Narcotics Task Force Chief ADGP Nilabh Kishore asserted that authorities focused heavily on dismantling the financial structures of trafficking rings. He noted that law enforcement confiscated properties built with drug profits and demolished illegal structures raised on government land. In addition, the state maintained an 89 percent conviction rate in NDPS cases through thorough investigations and evidence collection.
Public involvement through the Safe Punjab helpline contributed directly to thousands of police actions based on anonymous reports. Over 24,000 Village Defence Committees continue to support local intelligence gathering alongside youth outreach programs. Police officials maintained that operations against drug networks will intensify to build a completely drug-free state.
