Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Friday highlighted the historic initiatives undertaken by the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government to eradicate drugs and gangsterism from the state, asserting that the government has been relentlessly fighting against these two major social evils for the past four and a half years. Addressing a press conference at the party office, Dhaliwal stated that the Mann Government remains fully committed to securing the future of Punjab’s youth and restoring absolute peace, and the state’s campaigns will continue until every drug smuggler, and gangster is brought to justice.
Sharing precise statistical details of the anti-drug campaign, Dhaliwal revealed that under the state’s ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ initiative, the Punjab Police registered a total of 5,091 cases and arrested 7,105 drug smugglers between March 1, 2025, and June 25, 2026. During this intensive period, law enforcement authorities successfully seized 3,103 kilograms of heroin, 2.4 kilograms of smack, 831 kilograms of opium, 6 quintals and 74 kilograms of poppy husk, 84 quintals and 789 kilograms of charas, 10 quintals of ganja, 4 quintals of cocaine, 5 quintals of ice, and 165 kilograms of intoxicating powder. In addition to these narcotic substances, the Punjab Police recovered 2,100 narcotic medicines, injections, and capsules, while confiscating a record ₹18.73 crore in illicit drug money directly from smugglers.
Dhaliwal emphasized that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, this is the first government in Punjab to take the extreme measure of demolishing the residential properties of major drug dealers and smugglers. However, he pointed out that despite the relentless, grassroots efforts of the local police force, the BJP-led Central Government has failed to extend the necessary cooperation required to secure Punjab’s borders. He noted that drugs and sophisticated weapons are continuously being smuggled into Punjab from Pakistan through drones operating across the state’s 532-kilometre-long international border. He claimed that while BSF personnel make admirable efforts, the absence of advanced anti-drone technology allows these unmanned vehicles to drop lethal payloads and return safely, arguing that drugs could have been completely eliminated by now had the Centre installed the requested defensive systems.
Questioning the political intentions of the Union Government, the AAP spokesperson alleged that the BJP does not want Punjab to become drug-free or gangster-free, preferring the state’s atmosphere to remain tense and its youth trapped in addiction. He further noted that the recent arrests of several drug smugglers from Gujarat within Punjab indicate a deeper conspiracy. Turning to organized crime, Dhaliwal highlighted the success of the DGP’s ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign, noting that raids conducted at 562 locations resulted in the arrest of 332 criminals, including 147 dangerous offenders, bringing total campaign arrests to 40,353. He praised the public response to the state’s dedicated crime helpline, 93946-93946, which allows citizens to safely report gangster activities.
Concluding the briefing, Dhaliwal stated that overseas criminal networks operating from Dubai, England, and Canada continue to pose a serious challenge, but the Centre’s lack of diplomatic cooperation delays extradition processes. Despite these hurdles, he affirmed that the AAP government is successfully balancing zero-tolerance security operations with landmark public welfare programs. He highlighted that the administration is concurrently rolling out the Maavan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna to provide up to ₹1,500 monthly to women, ensuring 600 units of free electricity per household bimonthly, delivering cashless health coverage up to ₹10 lakh via the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, and continuously expanding the canal water network to secure the livelihoods of Punjabi farmers.
