Major haul comes as part of ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh 2.0’ —state’s intensified anti-drug campaign
Chandigarh, March 29, 2025 (Bharat Khabarnama Bureau) The Punjab Police carried out a massive statewide crackdown on drug trafficking networks on Thursday, arresting 217 smugglers and recovering 7.7 kilograms of heroin, 500 kilograms of ganja, and over 10,000 intoxicant pills in a coordinated operation.
The raids, conducted under *Operation Yudh Nashian Virudh 2.0*, targeted 428 known drug hotspots across all 28 police districts. Senior officers, including Special DGP Arpit Shukla, personally oversaw the operations, signaling the state’s zero-tolerance stance against narcotics.
“This is a sustained war—no leniency, no compromise,” Shukla said after joining Mohali SSP Deepak Pareek in leading raids. “We will continue striking at the roots of this menace until Punjab is completely drug-free.”
Since the campaign’s launch on March 1, police have registered 2,669 FIRs, arrested 4,484 smugglers, and seized 169.5 kg of heroin, 88 kg of opium, and ₹5.83 crore in drug money. The crackdown follows Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s directive to eliminate the drug trade, with a five-member cabinet committee monitoring progress.
Top officers, including Special DGPs Shashi Prabha Dwivedi (Railways) and Dr. Jitendra Jain (PSPCL), were also deployed in the field, underscoring the operation’s high priority.
Punjab’s three-pronged strategy—Enforcement, Deaddiction, and Prevention (EDP) —aims to dismantle supply chains while rehabilitating addicts. With over 20 quintals of poppy husk and 1 kg of ICE already seized this month, authorities vow to sustain the pressure.
“Every smuggler arrested weakens this network,” Shukla said. “We’re cataloguing key suppliers—this fight is far from over.”
