Punjab is witnessing an unprecedented escalation in its fight against narcotics, with official figures showing the highest-ever number of cases and arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. In just the first nine months of this year, the Punjab Police have credited their intensified anti-drug drive “Yudh Nashiyan Virudh” for setting new records in seizures and arrests.
The state has been registering an average of 80 FIRs daily, while 109 people are being arrested every day for drug-related offences. By the end of September, this has translated into over 21,000 FIRs and nearly 30,000 arrests, making 2025 a defining year in Punjab’s long struggle against narcotics. Officials say this is proof that the campaign is operating at full strength and reaching every corner of the state.
Drug seizures too have hit historic levels. In the past nine months alone, police confiscated 1,566 kilograms of heroin, in addition to thousands of kilograms of synthetic drugs, opium, and poppy husk. To put this in perspective, Punjab Police had seized about 700 kilograms of heroin in 2023 and nearly 1,000 kilograms in 2024. Compared to those figures, the 2025 seizure volume in just three quarters is already more than double that of two years ago and 50 percent higher than last year.
A similar trend is visible in cases and arrests. In 2023, Punjab registered nearly 12,000 FIRs under the NDPS Act with about 16,000 arrests, while 2024 saw a steeper rise with over 15,000 FIRs and 22,000 arrests. This year’s count—over 21,000 FIRs and 30,000 arrests by September alone—shows how sharply the crackdown has expanded.
“We are committed to breaking the backbone of the drug mafia. The message is clear: there will be zero tolerance for drug trafficking or consumption in Punjab,” said Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav while sharing the campaign’s progress. He added that the large-scale seizures and arrests reflect “the unprecedented intensity of operations.”
Launched as a zero-tolerance mission, “Yudh Nashiyan Virudh” involves widespread raids, surprise checkpoints, and intelligence-based operations across Punjab. Special Task Forces have been deployed especially in border districts like Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Gurdaspur, where smuggling through drones, tunnels, and cross-border networks remains rampant. Punjab Police officials say coordination with central agencies like the BSF and NCB has been strengthened to choke off supply lines from Pakistan.
Despite the aggressive campaign, political debate around the drug issue continues to rage. Opposition leaders allege that the government is showcasing high arrest numbers without addressing the deeper nexus between cartels, corrupt officials, and political enablers. “The government is busy publishing statistics, but the reality is that drugs are still freely available in villages and towns. Arresting small users and peddlers is not the same as catching the masterminds,” said Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa. He accused the ruling party of “failing to touch the real faces behind the narco-business.”
Families across Punjab echo the same concerns. Reports of overdoses and drug-related deaths remain alarmingly frequent. The deaths of several young men in villages like Lakho Ke Behram this year have triggered local outrage, suggesting that availability of narcotics on the ground is far from diminished. Legal experts highlight another troubling gap: the low conviction rate under the NDPS Act. In 2023, only about 20 percent of NDPS cases in Punjab resulted in convictions, while the rest either collapsed in court or remain pending due to weak evidence, poor investigations, or procedural loopholes. This means that while arrests and seizures are increasing, long-term deterrence against drug kingpins is still lacking.
Behind the statistics lies a grim social reality. Punjab continues to struggle with widespread addiction, unemployment, and crime driven by drug dependence. Entire families are affected, and villages report multiple cases of young men succumbing to overdoses within days of one another.“The police crackdown is important, but it cannot solve the problem alone. Without large-scale rehabilitation, counseling, and community treatment, the crisis will continue to eat away at Punjab’s youth,” said Dr. Rajinder Singh, a de-addiction expert based in Jalandhar.
Punjab’s record-breaking seizure of heroin and its daily wave of FIRs and arrests underline the seriousness with which the state is pursuing its drug war. However, the battle is far from over. The real measure of success for “Yudh Nashiyan Virudh” will not be the number of arrests or kilograms seized, but whether Punjab can cut the drug supply chain, dismantle powerful cartels, and give its youth a chance to reclaim their future.