Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday inaugurated a suite of advanced technical and intelligence facilities at the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) police station in Mohali, marking a significant upgrade to the state's technology-driven counter-narcotics architecture. The centrepiece of the inauguration was the Special Intelligence and Technical Unit (SITU), described by officials as a state-of-the-art capability for digital surveillance and criminal intelligence.

What Was Inaugurated

Beyond SITU, DGP Yadav also opened a Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) room, a dedicated interrogation room, and the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police at the ANTF station. The Mohali building itself was originally inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann in August 2024 and has since been developed into a full-spectrum modern investigation and intelligence centre serving as a key operational hub for anti-narcotics work across Punjab.

What the Facilities Will Enable

According to DGP Yadav, the new infrastructure will 'drastically enhance scientific investigation, digital evidence analysis, intelligence gathering, technical surveillance, and access to criminal databases,' directly improving the quality and effectiveness of narcotics investigations. The emphasis on digital tools and cyber intelligence signals a clear shift from conventional policing toward data-led enforcement in Punjab's drug war.

The ₹25 Crore Infrastructure Push

The state government has committed ₹11.5 crore each in 2024-25 and 2025-26 toward upgrading ANTF's technical backbone — covering surveillance systems, communication infrastructure, cyber intelligence capabilities, and digital investigation tools across ANTF headquarters and range offices. An additional ₹14.16 crore has been allocated to further augment the task force's technical strength, bringing the cumulative outlay to over ₹37 crore across the two years and the new tranche.

Statewide Expansion Under Way

ANTF office complexes in Patiala, Jalandhar, and Bathinda are already operational. New facilities in Ludhiana and Ferozepur are currently under construction, while plans for a dedicated ANTF centre in Amritsar are progressing with space already finalised. The phased rollout reflects an effort to give the task force a permanent, distributed footprint across the state's most drug-affected districts.

ANTF as State NCORD Secretariat

DGP Yadav also announced that ANTF Punjab has been formally designated as the state NCORD (Narco Coordination Centre) Secretariat. In this role, ANTF will function as the nodal agency for inter-departmental coordination, intelligence sharing, and monitoring of anti-drug initiatives statewide — a mandate that significantly elevates its institutional standing beyond field enforcement. With the Amritsar facility on the horizon and fresh funding in place, Punjab's anti-narcotics infrastructure is set to expand further in the months ahead.