Chandigarh: In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing war against drugs, the Punjab Police, under the leadership of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, achieved a major success on Friday. The state’s Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) seized a massive consignment of heroin weighing 18.227 kilograms. An Indian national identified as Heera Singh was arrested in connection with the case.

This major recovery forms part of the Punjab Police’s intensified efforts to combat the state’s drug menace. According to official data, in 2024 alone, over 10,000 individuals were arrested for drug smuggling, including 153 major traffickers involved in heroin consignments exceeding two kilograms each. Authorities also confiscated assets worth ₹208 crore believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking activities.

The Punjab Police have implemented a comprehensive strategy to curb narcotics, focusing on dismantling large trafficking syndicates and cracking down on street-level peddlers. Their initiatives have included cordon and search operations in high-risk areas and the establishment of security checkpoints on vulnerable transit routes across the state.

As a result, law enforcement recovered staggering quantities of narcotics in 2024, including 790 kg of heroin, 860 kg of opium, and nearly 2.9 crore units of pharmaceutical opioids.

DGP Gaurav Yadav reiterated the department’s firm stance against drug trafficking, stating that these operations send a clear and powerful message: drug peddling is no longer a safe or profitable venture in Punjab. “We are determined to break the backbone of this drug network and ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens,” he said.

The arrest of Heera Singh and the massive heroin seizure mark a significant milestone in the Punjab Police’s mission to eliminate drug trafficking from the state.