The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab on Friday, June 19, 2026, announced that Punjab Police conducted 560 raids at identified and mapped locations linked to gangster associates across the state as the 'Gangsteran Te Vaar' campaign entered its 149th day.

What Happened

On Day 149 of the ongoing anti-gangster drive, police teams carried out the raids simultaneously at locations pre-mapped as connected to associates of gangsters operating in Punjab. The single-day operation resulted in the arrest of individuals along with the seizure of seven weapons, pushing the campaign's cumulative arrest tally to 38,090 since its launch.

Context

Gangsteran Te Vaar — translating roughly from Punjabi as 'Strike Against Gangsters' — is a sustained enforcement campaign by Punjab Police directed at dismantling the networks that support organised crime in the state. Rather than targeting only named gang leaders, the operation focuses on associates, logistics enablers, and safe-house providers whose mapping allows coordinated, simultaneous raids across multiple districts. The scale of 560 raids in a single day underscores the operational breadth the campaign has maintained well into its fifth month.

Policy Backdrop

Punjab has grappled with gang-related violence for over a decade, with criminal networks frequently intersecting with the narcotics trade and, in several documented cases, with overseas handlers. When the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann came to power in March 2022, eliminating drug and gangster networks was among its foremost stated commitments. The administration subsequently launched a multi-pronged enforcement strategy combining intelligence-led raids, asset seizures, and sustained pressure on criminal ecosystems. Gangsteran Te Vaar represents the most visible and data-driven expression of that strategy, with the government regularly publishing aggregate figures to signal operational momentum.

Stakeholders and Impact

For ordinary Punjab residents — particularly in districts historically troubled by gang activity — the campaign's continuity into its 149th day signals institutional commitment beyond a short-term publicity exercise. Law enforcement personnel across the state's districts are the primary operational actors, with local intelligence units feeding the mapping exercise that drives each day's raid targets. The accumulation of 38,090 arrests over the campaign's lifespan also has implications for Punjab's judicial and prison infrastructure, as large volumes of accused individuals move through the legal system. Civil liberties observers and legal aid bodies continue to watch whether due process standards are maintained at the scale the campaign demands.

What's Next

The government is expected to continue publishing daily operational data as the campaign progresses. Analysts and opposition parties will watch whether the arrest numbers translate into successful prosecutions and whether weapon and drug seizure volumes show a measurable decline in street-level gang activity. Any follow-up legislative measures — such as stricter bail conditions for gang associates or enhanced asset-forfeiture provisions — could signal the next phase of the administration's organised-crime strategy.