Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Police has achieved a major milestone in its anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh, which has now completed 15 months. During this period, the force has not only seized large quantities of narcotics but has also launched an aggressive crackdown on the financial networks supporting drug trafficking. Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav announced on Sunday that assets worth approximately ₹300 crore belonging to around 750 drug smugglers have been frozen as part of the campaign.
The DGP stated that Punjab Police has shifted its focus beyond routine drug seizures to dismantling the economic infrastructure that sustains organized drug trafficking and cross-border smuggling operations. Since the campaign began on March 1, 2025, coordinated operations have been conducted daily across all 28 police districts of the state.
According to official data, Punjab Police has registered 46,937 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested 65,884 accused persons so far. Enforcement teams have recovered 2,950 kilograms of heroin, 792 kilograms of opium, 666 quintals of poppy husk, 71 kilograms of charas, 986 kilograms of ganja, 56 kilograms of ICE, and more than 55 lakh intoxicant pills and tablets. In addition, police have seized ₹20 crore in drug-related cash from arrested individuals.
A significant achievement of the campaign has been the disruption of hawala networks used to transfer drug profits to foreign handlers and suppliers. Punjab Police has arrested 65 hawala operators and recovered ₹8.85 crore in hawala money. Dedicated Financial Investigation Units (FIUs) have been established in every district to strengthen investigations into financial crimes linked to drug trafficking.
Among the major operations, authorities froze assets worth ₹5.09 crore linked to a money exchange firm in Phagwara that allegedly laundered funds through overseas channels. Investigations in Ludhiana and Amritsar also exposed key links between drug trafficking, hawala transactions, and cross-border criminal networks.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that advanced technology, intelligence-led policing, and the Punjab Artificial Intelligence System (PAIS) have played a crucial role in identifying criminal networks and tracking financial transactions. He reaffirmed Punjab Police’s commitment to dismantling the entire drug ecosystem and making the state drug-free.
