Chandigarh : Punjab Police's intensive anti-drug campaign, 'Yudh Nashian Virudh', has completed six months with significant breakthroughs in the state's battle against narcotics.
Since March 1, police have registered 17,957 FIRs and arrested 27,796 drug smugglers, leading to the recovery of 1,129 kilograms of heroin along with other contraband. The drive, launched under the direction of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, aims to make Punjab a drug-free state. The campaign is being closely monitored by a five-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, while day-to-day operations are supervised by the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav.
Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, who has been personally overseeing the operations, said the crackdown has also led to the seizure of 384 kg of opium, 232 quintals of poppy husk, 29 kg of charas, 430 kg ganja, 6.3 kg ICE (crystal meth), 33 lakh intoxicant pills/tablets, and Rs 12.44 crore in drug money.
On the 184th day of the campaign alone, police arrested 58 drug smugglers and recovered 8.4 kg of heroin, 4,087 intoxicant pills, and ₹2,300 in drug proceeds. Over 120 police teams, comprising more than 1,000 personnel and supervised by 67 gazetted officers, carried out raids at 309 locations. These operations resulted in 43 fresh FIRs, while 337 suspicious individuals were also checked.
The Punjab government is pursuing a three-pronged strategy--Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention (EDP)--to tackle the drug menace. As part of the 'De-addiction' component, Punjab Police successfully convinced 14 individuals to undergo treatment and rehabilitation.
The government has reiterated its commitment to continue this crackdown until Punjab is freed from the grip of narcotics, combining tough policing with preventive measures and rehabilitation initiatives.