CHANDIGARH, March 29:
In a relentless pursuit to eradicate the drug menace from Punjab as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police on Thursday conducted another massive Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) at identified drug Hotspots— the points of sale of drugs and psychotropic substances— across the state as part of the Yudh Nashian Virudh 2.0, marking the 29th day of the intensified anti-drug campaign.
The CASO was conducted simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, and Spl DGP/ADGP/IGP/DIG rank officers from Punjab Police Headquarters, Chandigarh were deputed in each Police district to personally supervise the operation.
During the daylong operation, police teams have conducted raids at 428 drug hotspots across the state leading to arrest of 217 persons after registration of 157 first information reports (FIRs). Police teams have also recovered 7.7 kg heroin, 500 kg Ganja, 10992 intoxicant tablets/capsules and Rs 2.17 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.
Notably, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab drug free state. The Punjab government has also constituted a 5-member Cabinet Sub Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs.
Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla, who joined Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohali Deepak Pareek to personally oversee the operation in drug hotspots, said that the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign launched on March 1, 2025, has resulted in arrest of 4484 drug smugglers after registration of 2669 first information reports (FIRs) across the state and led to recovery of 169.5 kg heroin, 88 kg opium, 20.5 quintals poppy husk, 8.64 lakh intoxicant tablets/capsules, 1 kg ICE and Rs 5.83 crores drug money from the possession of drug smugglers.
He said that DGP Punjab has already directed all the the CPs/SSPs to identify and catalogue the main drug suppliers/peddlers in their respective districts. “This is a sustained war—no leniency, no compromise. We will continue striking at the roots of this menace until Punjab is completely drug-free,” reiterated the Special DGP.
Other officers who went to the field includes Special DGP Railways Shashi Prabha Dwivedi, Special DGP PSPCL Dr Jitendra Jain, ADGP Anita Punj, ADGP Technical Support Services (TSS) Ram Singh, ADGP Provisioning G Nageswara Rao, ADGP Internal Security Shive Kumar Verma and ADGP State Armed Forces MF Farooqui.
Meanwhile, the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy— Enforcement, Deaddiction and Prevention (EDP)— to eradicate drugs from the state.
