CM Mann says over 85,000 drug smugglers arrested under his govt

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said more than 85,000 drug smugglers have been arrested in the state over the last three and a half years. Since the government assumed office in 2022, the fight against the drug menace has been accorded top priority, with around 63,000 cases registered against contraband smugglers, he said. Reviewing the performance of the police department, Mann noted that sustained enforcement, tighter investigations and zero political interference were translating into tangible outcomes. In 2025 alone, after the launch of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (war against drugs) campaign, police registered 30,144 FIRs and arrested 40,302 smugglers, according to an official statement.

The Chief Minister claimed the drive, launched on March 1 this year, has achieved considerable success. He said the AAP government adopted a multi-pronged strategy based on enforcement, de-addiction and prevention to tackle the drug problem. Over the last three and a half years, about 5,119 kg of heroin, 3,458 kg of opium, 5.82 kg of cocaine, 82 kg of ICE and 4.98 crore capsules have been seized, along with Rs 52.4 crore in cash. Mann added that the state has followed an approach combining strict enforcement, financial disruption, technology-enabled policing, public participation and humane rehabilitation.