Punjab's war against drugs to continue for another 2 months in state

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Saturday said the statewide drive against narcotics would continue for another 60 days even as he claimed that the campaign “significantly impacted” the drug trafficking networks.

The announcement came on the day the deadline to arrest all drug traffickers in the state ended. The DGP had warned of action against senior officers if drugs were recovered after May 31.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann too had set a three-month deadline to eliminate the drug menace at the start of the “Yudh Nashian Virudh”, which was launched on March 1.

However, Yadav said the drive would continue for another 60 days, “with new lists of drug peddlers and suppliers being prepared for action”.

Police officers to monitor treatment of drug addicts

He said under the “Each One, Adopt One” programme, top police officers would personally monitor the recovery of drug addicts undergoing treatment at de-addiction centres.

He said every officer, starting from the rank of the DGP, would adopt one addict to focus on his de-addiction and rehabilitation.

“This personalised approach aims to provide continuous support and motivation to drug users, helping them to overcome addiction and lead healthier lives,” he said.

The DGP told reporters that the police seized Rs 10.76 crore in drug money, with the arrest of 48 hawala operators,“ effectively disrupting the funding channels and operational capacity of drug syndicates”.

“This financial blow has undermined the economic infrastructure of the drug mafia, making it harder for them to sustain their illegal activities,” he claimed.

He said over 6,000 addicts had been admitted to rehabilitation centres, with the police adopting a “compassionate approach”.

The DGP said under the NDPS Act Section 64-A, 1,121 people caught with small quantities of drugs were sent for de-addiction and rehabilitation.

“This initiative aimed at treating drug addicts as patients rather than criminals, offering them a chance to recover and reintegrate into society,” he added.

He said advanced anti-drone systems had been deployed at the border with Pakistan to combat drone-based smuggling of narcotics, arms and explosives.

These systems are designed to detect, identify and neutralise drones, thereby disrupting cross-border smuggling networks.

Over 14,000 held

Since March 1, the police have lodged 8,344 FIRs and arrested 14,734 drug smugglers. The recoveries include 586 kg of heroin, 247 kg of opium and 14 tons of poppy husk. Illegally acquired assets worth Rs 74.27 crore have been frozen, while 104 properties razed.