CHANDIGARH, September 13:
In the recent years, due to the intensive crackdown against drugs being smuggled from across the internation border with Pakistan in the State of Punjab, there has been a change in the pattern of drug smuggling with an increased focus on pharmaceutical drugs. Addiction to pharmaceutical drugs has started replacing heroin addiction as the number one challenge in drug law enforcement in the State of Punjab.
A Punjab Police Spokesperson stated that the multi-layered response to counter drone-based narcotic smuggling across the international border with Pakistan by Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police has led to a sharp decline in availability of street heroin in Punjab. Punjab Police is deploying 09 Anti-Drone Systems, with 03 “Baaj Akh” systems presently operational in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur since August 2025, providing early detection and jamming of rogue drones. 03 units of Drone Sense D200 Pro, a long-endurance mobile drone detection platform have been deployed at strategic locations in border districts since 03-09-2026, showing immediate results. The system precisely detects and pinpoints drone-related activity and actual dropping locations, enabling timely ground intervention. For immediate ground action, 52 Drone Response Teams (DRT) with 147 police personnel work in close coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) responding to drone alerts, reaching suspected drop locations, conduct searches and intercept persons collecting the dropped consignments. This response is supported by 64 second-line defence nakas with 600 police personnel and 2367 CCTV cameras at 585 locations.
The Spokesperson further stated that the Village Defence Committees (VDCs) in Border areas have been integrated with the Drone Response Teams (DRTs). The VDCs in border areas serve as “eyes and ears” of the police. The “Yudh Nashiyan Virudh” (YNV) campaign has resulted in arrest of nearly 80,000 persons since 01-03- 2025. 486 drones have been recovered. Financial investigation is being used to disrupt the economic base of drug network with freezing of property worth over Rs. 336 crores. The reward policy for anti-drug information provides cash reward of Rs. 25,000 for every drone recovery and during the current year nearly Rs. 02 crores have been disbursed under the reward policy.
The Punjab Police Spokesperson stated that the multi-layered response of Punjab Police based on anti-drone technology, rapid response teams, coordination with BSF, community vigilance, CCTV surveillance, depth nakas, intelligence-led arrests, financial disruption, rehabilitation and prevention has led to sharp fall in the street availability in Punjab of drugs smuggled from across the international border. Concurrently, the latest trends indicate that pharmaceutical drugs smuggled from other states have emerged as the most important challenge in drug law enforcement in the state of Punjab.
According to data analysed from pharmaceutical seizures in Punjab, most of the pharmaceutical drugs are not manufactured in Punjab and are manufactured in states like Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi etc.
The Spokesperson stated that substantial quantity of pharmaceutical narcotics is entering the State of Punjab from other states. Since 2025 onwards, 11.54 lakh pharmaceutical tablets/capsules were recovered from consignments linked to other States, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal. It is roughly estimated that 80% of the pharmaceutical drugs available in Punjab are coming from the States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi etc, showing reversal of the earlier trend of 80% drugs being smuggled in Punjab from across the international border with Pakistan.
The Punjab Police Spokesperson further stated that the emerging pattern of pharmaceutical drug abuse highlights the importance of inter-state coordination. There is need for continued coordinated action with source and transit States against manufacturers, distributors and organised pharmaceutical drug networks. Punjab police would take up the matter with concerned states for better regulation of manufacturing units, continuous monitoring of all sale, purchase and transportation of all pharmaceutical drugs, to avoid these being diverted to the State of Punjab.
