The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab announced on Sunday, 19 July 2026 that Punjab Police has successfully concluded Operation Prahaar-3.0, a 16-day statewide intelligence-led enforcement drive conducted under the ongoing Gangsteran Te Vaar (War on Gangsters) campaign, directed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann with the stated aim of making Punjab a gangster-free state.

What the Operation Covered

Over the course of the drive, police teams conducted raids at 5,448 locations linked to gangsters, their associates, drug smugglers, and wanted criminals across all police ranges and commissionerates in the state. The sweep was described as a major blow to organised crime and the drug-gangster nexus in Punjab.

A total of 3,949 individuals were arrested during the operation, comprising 42 gangsters and their associates, 1,201 drug smugglers and peddlers, 119 proclaimed offenders, and 2,587 wanted accused. Additionally, preventive action was taken against 1,520 persons.

Seizures and Recoveries

Police teams recovered a significant haul of contraband and weapons during the operation. Narcotics seized include 10.47 kg of heroin, 1.50 kg of opium, 30 kg of ganja, 259 kg of poppy husk, and 21,746 intoxicant tablets, pills, and capsules. Liquor-related recoveries included 646.25 litres of lahan (fermented mash used in illicit brewing) and 1,243.5 litres of illicit liquor.

Additionally, 12 weapons and ₹4.03 lakh in drug money were recovered. The breadth of the seizures underlines the multi-pronged nature of the enforcement drive, targeting both narcotics supply chains and armed criminal networks simultaneously.

Policy Backdrop

Since taking office in March 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has maintained a declared zero-tolerance posture against drugs and organised crime in Punjab. The Gangsteran Te Vaar campaign is the umbrella framework under which successive phases of Operation Prahaar have been conducted as intelligence-driven enforcement exercises.

Punjab has long grappled with cross-border drug trafficking and gang activity, challenges compounded by the state's geography along the international border and the reach of diaspora-linked criminal networks. Periodic large-scale police operations combining raids, arrests, and contraband seizures have been a recurring tool across administrations to disrupt these networks.

Stakeholders and Impact

The operation's most direct beneficiaries are Punjab's rural communities and youth, who have been disproportionately affected by the state's drug crisis. Law enforcement agencies across all police ranges participated in the coordinated drive, reflecting a statewide mobilisation rather than a localised crackdown.

With 1,201 drug smugglers and peddlers arrested in a single 16-day window, the operation also signals pressure on mid-level supply chain actors — the peddlers who bring narcotics to street level — alongside the higher-profile arrests of gangsters and proclaimed offenders.

What's Next

The CMO's announcement frames Operation Prahaar-3.0 as part of a continuing series, with the Gangsteran Te Vaar campaign described as 'ongoing.' Subsequent phases of the campaign and updated state-level crime and seizure statistics in the coming months will be the key indicators of whether the operational gains translate into sustained reductions in gang activity and drug availability across Punjab.