Information received through Punjab’s Safe Punjab Helpline has contributed to 25,339 arrests in drug-related cases since the state launched its ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign in March 2025, according to data released by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).Between March 1, 2025, and September 3, 2026, the helpline received 51,979 tip-offs from citizens about suspected drug peddling and other drug-related activities.The data showed that 59,293 FIRs had been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Punjab during the period.Authorities said more than 25,000 arrests resulted from information received through the helpline.
Arrests and drug seizures
The enforcement drive also resulted in the arrest of 696 people who were found with more than 2 kg of heroin each, according to the data.Authorities reported recovering 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 recovered 62 lakh tablets and capsules in cases registered under the NDPS Act.The operation resulted in the seizure of Rs 22 crore in suspected drug-related money. A total of 2,675 cases involving commercial quantities of drugs were also registered.Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said citizen tip-offs had assisted the ANTF and expected further participation.“Tip-offs have provided extra teeth to the Anti-Narcotics Task Force and we firmly believe that in the days to come, there will be more citizen participation in giving tip-offs and subsequent arrests as a result of it,” Yadav said.ADGP ANTF Punjab Nilabh Kishore said the figures showed that information from citizens was being used alongside enforcement action.“The figures suggest that the anti-drug campaign is increasingly combining enforcement action with citizen-generated intelligence. The over 51,979 tip-offs received through the helpline indicate that members of the public are actively feeding information into the enforcement mechanism,” Kishore said.
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Police intervention in addiction treatment
The data also covers police efforts to connect people struggling with addiction to treatment services.According to the figures, police took 42,498 people to de-addiction centres, while another 1,55,970 people were taken to Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics.Separately, 11,239 individuals were granted immunity under Section 64A of the NDPS Act. The provision provides protection in specified circumstances to drug-dependent people who voluntarily undergo treatment.The figures released by the state therefore cover both enforcement against drug-related activities and police-assisted access to treatment for people struggling with addiction.