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In a major offensive against the drug trade, Punjab Police has recovered over 1,002 kilograms of heroin in less than five months as part of its ongoing anti-narcotics campaign 'Yudh Nashian Virudh'.
The drive, launched on March 1, 2025, on the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has led to the registration of 14,906 FIRs and the arrest of 23,647 drug smugglers, reaffirming the state government's commitment to a drug-free Punjab. The campaign is being executed under the leadership of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, with consistent operations including cordon-and-search drives, night patrols, and targeted raids at known drug hotspots across the state. Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, who is personally overseeing the operations, stated that apart from the heroin haul, police have also seized 344 kg of opium, 182 quintals of poppy husk, 14 kg of charas, 365 kg of ganja, 6 kg of ICE, and approximately 30.9 lakh intoxicant tablets, capsules, and injections. In addition, Rs 12.03 crore in drug money has been recovered. On the 148th day of the campaign, police teams carried out coordinated raids at 425 locations across Punjab. These efforts resulted in the arrest of 99 drug smugglers and the registration of 72 fresh FIRs. A total of 12.9 kg heroin, 701 grams of opium, over 70,000 intoxicant pills and injections, and Rs 8.38 lakh in drug money were seized during the day-long operation. The crackdown involved over 180 teams consisting of more than 1,300 police personnel, supervised by 86 gazetted officers. Police also checked 443 suspicious individuals during the course of the operations. Highlighting the three-pronged approach of Enforcement, De-addiction, and Prevention (EDP), the Special DGP added that the campaign is not limited to law enforcement alone. On Sunday, 78 individuals were persuaded by police personnel to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment, furthering the campaign's goal of long-term recovery and prevention. The Punjab Government has made it clear that this campaign will continue aggressively in the coming months, with zero tolerance for drug trafficking or abuse. (ANI)
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