Chandigarh, June 10: Intensifying its war against drugs under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police has launched the next phase of its ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign with a focused three-day statewide special drive against illegal hawala traders and operators who facilitate the movement of drug money and support narcotics networks.
Disclosing this on Wednesday, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that Punjab Police has adopted a robust financial disruption strategy aimed at identifying, tracing, freezing and confiscating assets generated through drug trafficking.
Focus on Breaking the Financial Backbone of Drug Networks
The DGP said that since the launch of the campaign, Punjab Police has systematically targeted the financial infrastructure of organized drug trafficking syndicates through sustained legal action against drug traffickers, hawala operators, drug proceeds and illegally acquired properties.
The latest special drive aims to further dismantle the economic networks that enable and sustain drug trafficking operations.
73 Hawala Operators Arrested, ₹10 Crore Recovered
Highlighting the success of enforcement efforts, DGP Gaurav Yadav said that aggressive action against clandestine financial channels has dealt a major blow to narco-hawala syndicates.
Under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign so far, Punjab Police has arrested 73 hawala operators and recovered approximately ₹10 crore in hawala money.
Assets Worth Over ₹830 Crore Frozen
To deprive drug traffickers of their illegal gains and create a strong deterrent, Punjab Police has taken extensive action against illegally acquired assets.
DGP Gaurav Yadav revealed that since 2022, assets worth more than ₹830 crore have been frozen under Section 68F of the NDPS Act. Additionally, over 1,727 property-freezing proposals have been confirmed by the competent authority.
More Than ₹20 Crore Drug Money Recovered Since March 2025
Apart from targeting hawala operators, Punjab Police has also recovered over ₹20 crore in drug proceeds from accused persons since March 1, 2025 alone.
Calling the achievement unprecedented, DGP Gaurav Yadav said that intelligence-led policing and intensive investigations have played a key role in disrupting financial networks linked to drug trafficking.
“The fight against narcotics cannot be won through arrests and seizures alone. By targeting hawala networks, proceeds of crime and illegally acquired properties, we are depriving traffickers of their economic benefits and preventing them from reinvesting in illegal activities,” he said.
Punjab Police reiterated that it remains committed to a zero-tolerance policy against drugs and will continue taking strong action to break the financial backbone of narcotics networks operating in the state.
