The North News
Chandigarh, April 29
In a bold escalation of Punjab’s anti-drug campaign, the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, on Tuesday issued an unambiguous ultimatum to district police chiefs to eliminate all street-level drug availability by 31 May or face accountability down to the Station House Officer (SHO) level.
The directive came during a high-level review meeting in Chandigarh, where senior law enforcement officials gathered to sharpen the state’s action plan against narcotics. Yadav was joined by Special DGP Internal Security R.N. Dhoke, ADGP Anti Narcotics Task Force Nilabh Kishore, and ADGP Law and Order Naresh Arora. The session brought together all Range Inspector Generals, Deputy Inspector Generals, Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police for what the DGP called a decisive push to “wipe out drugs from the streets of Punjab.”
“We’ve made it very clear—officers across the ranks, from CPs and SSPs to DSPs and SHOs, will be personally accountable if they fail to act,” Yadav said. “This is not about numbers, but about results. The supply chains must be dismantled completely.” The DGP underscored that after 31 May, performance evaluations will be based on intelligence assessments, community feedback, and professional benchmarks. Officers who demonstrate measurable success will be rewarded, while those who fall short will face disciplinary action.
The meeting spanned over three hours and unfolded in two parts. The first segment involved a district-wise performance audit, reviewing FIRs, recent seizures, and gaps in enforcement. The second part called on field officers to present detailed blueprints for a drug-free district by the end of May.
DGP Yadav said that the Punjab Police has increased pressure on 755 identified drug hotspots, launching frequent and targeted Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs). He said law enforcement is employing a mix of technological and human intelligence to penetrate the evolving tactics of traffickers, including the use of burner phones and layered “cut-out” systems.
“Big fish are in our sights,” said Yadav, hinting at efforts to unravel wider networks by tracing forward and backward linkages in each case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The Punjab government is also scaling up interdepartmental collaboration, bringing health and education departments into the fold to ensure both crackdown and rehabilitation. Efforts to boost de-addiction infrastructure are underway to reintegrate affected individuals into society.
DGP Yadav urged citizens to report traffickers anonymously through the Safe Punjab Anti-Drug Helpline (9779100200), which he said is being monitored daily. “The Chief Minister himself is reviewing its inputs,” he added.
In the past two months alone, the police have arrested 7,889 individuals and registered 4,930 cases under the NDPS Act. Recoveries have included 325 kg of heroin, 100 quintals of poppy husk, 157 kg of opium, nearly 22 lakh drug pills and tablets, 95 kg of cannabis, and ₹8.09 crore in drug money.
