Punjab CM Office: 66,687 drug smugglers held in 460-day drive
Synopsis
Punjab's Chief Minister's Office reported on 5 June 2026 that the Yudh Nashian Virudh anti-drug campaign has reached its 460th day, with total arrests hitting 66,687 and day-460 recoveries including 1.6 kg heroin and 1,110 intoxicant pills.
Key Takeaways
Punjab Police continued the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign for the 460th consecutive day on 5 June 2026 .
Day-460 recoveries include 1.6 kg heroin , 1,110 intoxicant pills , and Rs 16,500 in drug money .
Cumulative arrests since the campaign began have reached 66,687 drug smugglers .
The campaign was launched by CM Bhagwant Mann 's government in 2022 as a flagship anti-narcotics initiative.
The daily bulletin format is a deliberate strategy to publicly track and demonstrate sustained enforcement.
Punjab 's border location along known smuggling routes makes drug control a persistent state priority.
The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab announced on Friday, 5 June 2026 that police teams have continued the anti-narcotics campaign Yudh Nashian Virudh (War Against Drugs) into its 460th consecutive day, with fresh arrests and recoveries adding to an already substantial cumulative tally.
What the latest operation recovered
On day 460 of the campaign, Punjab Police teams arrested drug smugglers and recovered 1.6 kg of heroin, 1,110 intoxicant pills, and Rs 16,500 in drug money from their possession. The official post stated that the total number of drug smugglers arrested since the campaign began has now reached 66,687.Context: A campaign built on daily accountability
The Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign was launched by the Bhagwant Mann government in 2022 as a flagship governance initiative to dismantle drug networks across Punjab. A defining feature of the drive has been its daily bulletin format — each day's arrests and seizures are publicly reported, creating a rolling public record of enforcement activity. This transparency-first approach is designed to demonstrate that action is sustained, not episodic.Policy backdrop: Punjab's long-standing drug challenge
Punjab shares a border with Pakistan and sits along well-documented smuggling corridors, making it particularly vulnerable to heroin and synthetic drug inflows. The state's drug problem has disproportionately affected its youth and has been a central political issue across successive governments. The Mann administration has positioned enforcement — arrests, seizures, and financial disruption through recovery of drug money — alongside expansion of de-addiction facilities as a two-track response to the crisis.Stakeholders and impact
The primary targets of the campaign are drug smugglers and peddlers operating within the state's distribution networks. Beyond enforcement, Punjab's youth are the intended long-term beneficiaries, as demand-side harm is directly linked to the supply networks being dismantled. Civil society groups and families of those affected by addiction have broadly welcomed sustained police action, though rehabilitation capacity remains a parallel concern for policymakers.What's next
The Punjab Police is expected to release consolidated monthly seizure and arrest data as the campaign progresses. Policymakers may also consider legislative reinforcements to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the state level, as well as further expansion of government-run de-addiction and rehabilitation centres. The continuation of the daily bulletin past 460 days signals that the administration intends to keep the campaign in the public eye as a governance benchmark heading into the next political cycle.Point of View
687 arrests over 460 days is a significant operational statistic, but the political value lies equally in the consistency of the messaging. For a state where drug abuse has historically cost governments electoral capital, the daily bulletin is as much a communication tool as an accountability mechanism. The next test for the administration will be whether rehabilitation infrastructure is scaling at a pace that matches the enforcement numbers.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign in Punjab?
Yudh Nashian Virudh, meaning 'War Against Drugs,' is a statewide anti-narcotics drive launched by the Bhagwant Mann government in 2022 . It involves daily police operations targeting drug smugglers, peddlers and distribution networks across Punjab , with results reported publicly every day.
How many drug smugglers have been arrested in Punjab's anti-drug campaign?
As of day 460 of the campaign, the total number of drug smugglers arrested under Yudh Nashian Virudh has reached 66,687 , according to the Chief Minister's Office of Punjab.
What was seized on day 460 of Punjab's Yudh Nashian Virudh drive?
On the 460th day of the campaign, Punjab Police recovered 1.6 kg of heroin , 1,110 intoxicant pills , and Rs 16,500 in drug money from arrested smugglers.
Why is Punjab particularly affected by drug trafficking?
Punjab shares a border with Pakistan and lies along established smuggling corridors, making it especially vulnerable to heroin and synthetic drug inflows. The problem has disproportionately affected the state's youth and has been a major political issue for successive state governments.
Who launched the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign?
The campaign was launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann 's government in 2022 as a flagship initiative to eradicate the drug menace in Punjab through sustained daily enforcement action.
