Punjab Police hits Day 513 of Yudh Nashian Virudh, arrests cross 74,679
Synopsis
On Day 513 of Punjab's Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign, police recovered 2.2 kg heroin, 11 kg poppy husk, 505 pills and ₹5 lakh in drug money. Total arrests since the drive began now stand at 74,679, with seven more persons referred for de-addiction treatment.
Key Takeaways
Day 513 of Yudh Nashian Virudh recorded fresh recoveries of 2.2 kg heroin , 11 kg poppy husk , 505 intoxicant pills , and ₹5 lakh in drug money.
Cumulative arrests under the campaign have reached 74,679 drug smugglers since the drive began.
Seven persons were convinced to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment on Day 513.
The campaign combines daily enforcement tallies with rehabilitation referrals, reflecting a dual law-and-order and public-health approach.
Punjab 's cross-border geography makes it a persistent hub for heroin and synthetic drug smuggling, giving the campaign national significance.
Five hundred and thirteen days in, and Punjab Police has not blinked. On Tuesday, 28 July 2026, the Chief Minister's Office of Punjab reported the latest haul from the state's relentless anti-drug campaign Yudh Nashian Virudh — 'War Against Drugs' — as enforcement teams swept up drug smugglers and sent seven more people toward rehabilitation.
What Day 513 yielded: heroin, pills, and cash
In a single operational cycle, Punjab Police recovered 2.2 kg of heroin, 11 kg of poppy husk, 505 intoxicant pills, and ₹5 lakh in drug money from arrested smugglers. The numbers are specific, granular, and deliberate — each figure a data point in what the state government has turned into a publicly tracked daily ledger of enforcement. The cumulative toll on trafficking networks is now stark: 74,679 drug smugglers arrested since the campaign began. That figure, updated with each passing day, is the administration's clearest argument that this is not a seasonal crackdown but a sustained institutional posture.Punjab's drug crisis: why the count matters
Punjab has carried the weight of this crisis for decades. The state's geography — sharing a border with Pakistan and positioned along known heroin smuggling corridors — has made it a persistent flashpoint for opioid and synthetic drug abuse. Successive governments since the 2010s have launched anti-narcotics drives, but few have maintained the operational tempo or the public daily-reporting discipline that defines the current phase under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, whose administration since 2022 has made Yudh Nashian Virudh a signature governance initiative. The daily tally is not just enforcement optics. It signals to smuggling networks that the police machinery has not stood down — and to families of addicts that the state has not looked away.Seven more toward recovery
Beyond the seizures, Punjab Police reported convincing seven persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment on Day 513. That number is small. But it points to the campaign's dual track: arrest the supplier, rehabilitate the user. The state has consistently paired enforcement numbers with rehabilitation referrals in its public reporting, framing the war on drugs as a public-health mission as much as a law-and-order one. The harder question — whether de-addiction infrastructure is scaling fast enough to absorb demand — remains one to watch as the campaign enters its second year and beyond. Five hundred and thirteen days is not a milestone. It is a statement of intent. And Punjab is not done counting.Point of View
Episodic crackdowns, but the real test lies in whether de-addiction infrastructure and border interdiction coordination are keeping pace with the arrest numbers. The seven rehabilitation referrals reported alongside 74,679 arrests also raise a structural question: is the supply-side enforcement outrunning the demand-side recovery ecosystem? That gap, if it widens, will define the campaign's legacy beyond its headline statistics.
NationPress
28 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Yudh Nashian Virudh?
Yudh Nashian Virudh — meaning 'War Against Drugs' — is Punjab government's sustained anti-narcotics campaign combining police enforcement against drug smugglers with de-addiction and rehabilitation drives targeting users.
How many drug smugglers have been arrested in Punjab's anti-drug campaign?
As of Day 513 of the campaign, a total of 74,679 drug smugglers have been arrested under Yudh Nashian Virudh .
What drugs were seized by Punjab Police on Day 513?
Punjab Police recovered 2.2 kg of heroin , 11 kg of poppy husk , 505 intoxicant pills , and ₹5 lakh in drug money from arrested smugglers on Day 513 of the campaign.
Who launched the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign in Punjab?
The campaign is a signature governance initiative of the Bhagwant Mann administration, which came to power in Punjab in 2022 , though anti-narcotics drives in the state have been a policy focus since the 2010s.
Does Punjab Police also help drug addicts get treatment?
Yes. Alongside enforcement, Punjab Police actively convinces drug users to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment. On Day 513 alone, seven persons were referred for such treatment as part of the campaign's dual-track approach.
