Chandigarh, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Citizen-generated intelligence has emerged as a major component of Punjab’s anti-drug campaign, with 51,979 tip-offs received through the Safe Punjab Helpline helping authorities make 25,339 arrests since the launch of the state’s ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign.
The figures cover the period from March 1, 2025, to September 3, 2026. The helpline, 97791-00200, has been used by citizens to provide information about suspected drug peddling and other activities linked to the illegal drug trade.
The scale of citizen participation is particularly significant against the backdrop of 59,293 FIRs registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act during the campaign period. More than 25,000 arrests were made on the basis of tip-offs received from the public.
The enforcement drive has also targeted major players in the drug trade. As many as 696 ‘big fish’ were arrested with more than 2 kg of heroin each, indicating action against those handling large quantities of narcotics.
According to the data, agencies recovered 3,757 kg of heroin, 964 kg of opium, 45 tonnes of poppy husk, 1,288 kg of ganja and 71 kg of methamphetamine, commonly known as ICE. They also seized 62 lakh tablets and capsules under the NDPS Act.
The campaign resulted in the seizure of ₹22 crore in drug money and the registration of 2,675 cases involving commercial quantities of drugs.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said citizen tip-offs had provided “extra teeth” to the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), expressing confidence that public participation in reporting drug-related activities would increase further.
ADGP ANTF Nilabh Kishore said the figures showed that the campaign was increasingly combining enforcement with intelligence generated by citizens. He said the more than 51,979 tip-offs demonstrated active public participation in the enforcement mechanism.
Alongside supply-side enforcement, the state has also focused on helping people struggling with addiction access treatment. Police admitted 42,498 such persons to de-addiction centres, while another 1,55,970 were taken to Outpatient Opioid-Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics.
Separately, 11,239 individuals have been granted immunity under Section 64A of the NDPS Act, which provides protection in specified circumstances to drug-dependent persons who voluntarily undergo treatment.
The figures underline the campaign’s twin approach: intensifying action against drug suppliers and networks while using citizen intelligence and police intervention to connect people struggling with addiction to treatment.
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