The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab announced on Sunday, 31 May 2026 that the ongoing Gangsteran Te Vaar ('War on Gangsters') campaign, conducted under the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, completed its 130th day with Punjab Police executing 513 coordinated raids at identified and mapped locations linked to associates of gangsters across the state.

What happened on Day 130

Punjab Police teams conducted simultaneous raids at 513 locations that had been identified and mapped as hideouts or meeting points of gangster associates across the state. The day's operations resulted in fresh arrests, pushing the cumulative total to 32,788 since the campaign's launch. Police also recovered one weapon during the day's operations.

The CMO's post stated in Punjabi: 'ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ @BhagwantMann ਦੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਚੱਲ ਰਹੀ ਫ਼ੈਸਲਾਕੁੰਨ ਮੁਹਿੰਮ' ('The decisive campaign running on the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann'), signalling that the operation continues to be driven from the highest level of state government.

Context

Punjab has long grappled with organised criminal networks engaged in extortion, contract killings, and narcotics trafficking. The Gangsteran Te Vaar campaign represents a sustained, publicly tracked operational drive that uses mapped intelligence to target the broader ecosystem of associates supporting these gangs, not just the top-tier operatives.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, which came to power in March 2022 under CM Bhagwant Mann, made law-and-order reform a central plank of its governance agenda. Intensified action against drug syndicates and organised crime was among its early stated priorities.

Policy backdrop

Successive Punjab administrations have periodically launched targeted policing drives combining raids, seizures, and arrests to disrupt criminal networks. What distinguishes the current campaign is its publicly reported daily cadence — each operational day is logged with specific raid counts, arrest tallies, and seizure data, creating a transparent accountability trail.

The practice of mapping and pre-identifying associate locations before raids reflects an intelligence-led policing model, moving beyond reactive responses to proactive disruption of criminal supply chains. The campaign's hashtag #GangsteranTeVaar has been used consistently by the CMO to maintain public visibility of the operation's progress.

Stakeholders and impact

Punjab's residents, particularly in districts historically affected by gang violence and extortion, are the primary beneficiaries of sustained operational pressure on these networks. For businesses and ordinary citizens who have faced extortion demands, a campaign of this scale signals continued state commitment to disrupting criminal reach.

Punjab Police bears the operational burden of executing coordinated multi-location raids daily. The cumulative figure of 32,788 arrests over 130 days also reflects significant pressure on the state's detention and judicial infrastructure.

What's next

The CMO's consistent daily updates suggest the campaign will continue beyond Day 130 with no announced end date, maintaining pressure on gangster networks. Observers will watch for the release of broader crime statistics — including data on extortion complaints and contract killings — to assess whether the arrest numbers are translating into measurable reductions in organised crime activity. Any supplementary legislation to strengthen police powers, or a review in the next Punjab Vidhan Sabha session, could further define the campaign's long-term legal architecture.