Punjab Police’s anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh, continued for the 26th consecutive day on the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, aiming to eliminate drug abuse from the state. On Wednesday, police teams carried out raids at 483 locations, resulting in the arrest of 77 drug smugglers and the registration of 55 FIRs. With this, the total number of drug smugglers apprehended over the past 26 days has risen to 4,114.
During the operation, police teams seized 1.1 kg of heroin, 301 grams of opium, and ₹13,570 in drug-related cash from those arrested.
The large-scale crackdown was executed across all 28 police districts of Punjab, following the instructions of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has directed Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners, and Senior Superintendents of Police to work towards making Punjab a drug-free state. Additionally, the Punjab government has formed a five-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, to oversee and monitor the anti-drug campaign.
Providing further details, Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla revealed that over 200 police teams, comprising more than 1,300 personnel under the supervision of 101 gazetted officers, conducted raids and interrogated 531 suspicious individuals as part of the day-long operation.
He emphasized that Punjab Police has developed a well-structured plan to combat the drug menace, and similar operations will continue until the state is free from drugs.
The Special DGP also highlighted that the Punjab government is implementing a three-pronged strategy—Enforcement, De-addiction, and Prevention (EDP)—to tackle the issue comprehensively. As part of the De-addiction initiative, police have encouraged four individuals to undergo rehabilitation treatment. Meanwhile, 114 awareness programs have been organized across the state under the Prevention initiative.