In a revelation that has sent shockwaves across state borders, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday flagged the arrest of a Haryana resident — an official employed with an enforcement agency — in connection with a major drug smuggling case busted by the Amritsar Police a day before.
The man, hailing from Rohtak, is among eight key operatives arrested with four kilograms of heroin, further intensifying concerns about the deep-rooted and cross-border complicity in Punjab’s ongoing war against drugs. On Wednesday, Amritsar Police had arrested eight individuals, including an inspector from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) based in Rohtak, for their involvement in drug smuggling. Police recovered 4.04 kg of heroin from the accused. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar had revealed that the Manjit, currently posted as inspector in the anti-smuggling agency, was allegedly exploiting his position to assist the drug network, working closely with Ferozepur-resident Ravi Kumar, who had direct links to foreign-based smugglers. Both were sourcing consignments from across the border.
What has particularly rattled the state machinery is not just the high-grade narcotics haul, but the accused’s official credentials. An employee of a central enforcement agency, the Rohtak native’s involvement, according to Cheema, has raised “serious concerns” about the role of personnel from enforcement agencies — especially those stationed or originally based in other states — being co-opted into the very trade they are meant to combat. “If those tasked with enforcing the law are found enabling such crimes, it points to an institutional rot that must be exposed and rooted out,” said Cheema, while addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan.
The Finance Minister, who also heads the state’s Cabinet Sub-Committee on anti-drugs campaign — ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ — underscored that this was not an isolated incident. “The involvement of enforcement officials from other states in the drug trade within Punjab is extremely disturbing. This calls for an urgent and coordinated investigation, not just at the state level, but across the national enforcement framework,” Cheema asserted.
He said that an in-depth probe would be launched to track the mastermind of the gang, with assurances that “no one, no matter how powerful, would be spared”.
The timing of this revelation comes amidst an intensified crackdown by the Punjab Government under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign — a comprehensive anti-drug offensive that has yielded sweeping results in just over a month. Sharing the latest figures, Cheema said that in the past 41 days alone, police have registered 3,279 NDPS Act cases and arrested 5,537 accused. Notably, this includes massive drug seizures — 212 kg heroin, 6,945 kg poppy husk, 105 kg opium, 50 kg ganja, six kg charas, and around nine lakh banned tablets and capsules.
Further, drug money amounting to nearly Rs six crore has been recovered, while properties belonging to 57 drug smugglers have been demolished as part of a visible, punitive strategy. “We are sending a strong message — drug peddling will no longer be tolerated in Punjab,” said Cheema.
Taking a dig at the Centre, Cheema accused the Union Government of negligence. “While Punjab is fulfilling its responsibilities to curb cross-border drug trafficking, the Centre appears to be falling short,” he said, subtly alluding to Punjab’s geographical vulnerability and the need for robust inter-agency coordination at the national level.
In a major policy shift, the Punjab Government has earmarked funds in its annual budget for the first time towards anti-drone systems and a comprehensive drug census. Additionally, a budget of nearly Rs 980 crore has been set aside for sports development to steer the youth away from substance abuse.
84 Drug Smugglers Held on Day 41 of Anti-Drug Drive; 2.5kg heroin seized
Punjab Police’s crackdown under the “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign entered its 41st day with major success — arresting 84 drug smugglers and seizing 2.5 kg heroin, 86 kg poppy husk, and Rs 70,400 in drug money. With this, the total number of arrests since the campaign began has surged to 5,621. In a parallel action, police also launched surprise searches in jails across six districts — Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala, Patiala, Sangrur, and SAS Nagar — to crack down on illegal activities behind bars. “Every corner of the jail premises, including barracks, kitchens, and washrooms, was thoroughly checked,” said Shukla, reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance approach to drug peddling both inside and outside prison walls.
