The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab announced on Thursday, 2 July 2026 that Punjab Police carried out 650 raids on Day 162 of the ongoing 'Gangsteran Te Vaar' anti-gangster campaign, detaining 287 persons under preventive action and arresting eight proclaimed offenders (POs). The CMO also reiterated that residents can report criminal activity anonymously through the Anti Gangster Helpline at 93946-93946.

Context

The 'Gangsteran Te Vaar' campaign — loosely translated as 'Strike Against Gangsters' — is a sustained police operation launched by the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. The campaign has now entered its 162nd consecutive day, reflecting the administration's stated commitment to maintaining daily operational pressure on organised crime networks across the state.

Day 162 saw one of the campaign's higher single-day raid counts, with 650 raids conducted statewide. The simultaneous preventive detention of 287 persons alongside the arrest of eight proclaimed offenders indicates a dual-track approach: disrupting active criminal networks while also neutralising individuals already wanted by the courts.

Policy Backdrop

Punjab has grappled with organised crime for over a decade, with gangster groups linked to extortion, contract killings, and narcotics trafficking. State administrations since the 2010s have periodically launched intensified anti-gangster drives, but the current campaign under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is notable for its daily cadence and public-facing reporting through the CMO's official channels.

The Anti Gangster Helpline (93946-93946) is a key civilian-facing pillar of the operation, enabling anonymous tip-offs on wanted criminals and criminal activity. The government has consistently promoted this number alongside each operational update, signalling that community intelligence is treated as integral to the campaign's strategy rather than supplementary to it.

Stakeholders and Impact

For ordinary Punjab residents — particularly in districts historically affected by gang violence — the sustained pace of raids and arrests represents a visible change in policing tempo. Preventive action against 287 persons in a single day suggests police are also targeting associates and facilitators, not just named offenders.

Organised crime networks face compounding pressure as the campaign stretches beyond five months of uninterrupted daily operations. The public arrest of proclaimed offenders — individuals who had previously evaded court summons — sends a signal about the state's capacity to pursue long-standing fugitives.

What's Next

The government is expected to continue releasing daily operational tallies as the campaign progresses, with cumulative figures on total raids, arrests, and preventive detentions likely to be highlighted at key milestones. Analysts watching Punjab's law-and-order trajectory will look for data on whether sustained police pressure translates into measurable reductions in extortion incidents and gang-related violence. Any legislative follow-through — such as amendments to preventive detention provisions or witness protection frameworks — would signal the campaign moving from operational to structural reform.