Punjab Police Arrest 129 Drug Smugglers in One Day, Crosses 21,000 Arrests in 131-Day Anti-Drug Operation

Chandigarh, July 10, 2025: As Punjab’s intensive crackdown on drugs entered its 131st day, the state police arrested 129 drug smugglers in a single day under the ongoing campaign “Yudh Nashian Virudh,” launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.

The operation, aimed at rooting out the drug menace from Punjab, was conducted simultaneously across all 28 police districts. Law enforcement officials recovered 4.2 kilograms of heroin, 509 grams of opium, and ₹23,370 in drug money. With these latest arrests, the total number of drug smugglers apprehended has reached 21,356 since the campaign began.

The statewide crackdown was carried out under the direct supervision of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. In his earlier directives, Chief Minister Mann instructed Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners, and Senior Superintendents of Police to take decisive action to make Punjab a drug-free state.

To strengthen oversight, the Punjab Government also formed a five-member Cabinet Sub Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor progress in the anti-drug war.

Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla detailed that over 180 police teams, comprising more than 1,300 personnel and supervised by 84 gazetted officers, conducted raids at 414 locations across the state. These efforts resulted in the registration of 92 FIRs and checking of 456 suspicious individuals.

Apart from enforcement, the operation is also targeting rehabilitation and awareness. As part of the ‘De-addiction’ wing of Punjab’s three-pronged EDP (Enforcement, Deaddiction, Prevention) strategy, the police successfully convinced 86 individuals to voluntarily undergo treatment for addiction and begin rehabilitation.

Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to sustained, coordinated action to break the drug supply chain, provide treatment to users, and prevent future addiction through education and community involvement.