Chandigarh Police has recorded 1,000 arrests and detentions during a month-long anti-drug drive targeting peddlers, regional distribution networks and identified drug hotspots across the Union Territory. The operation has combined raids, surveillance, action against illegal structures, pharmacy inspections, community outreach and rehabilitation measures.
Senior superintendent of police Kanwardeep Kaur said the campaign was initiated under the direction of UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. She said the objective was to dismantle drug supply networks through enforcement, preventive action, community participation and rehabilitation.
As part of the operation, police identified locations considered drug hotspots and increased patrolling and surveillance in those areas. Officers also mapped places where alleged drug peddlers had encroached on government land. Structures at such locations were demolished, while legal action was initiated over building violations, according to the police account.
The drive has also involved coordination with the drugs control wing. Police teams raided chemist shops and seized controlled medicines from pharmacies. The operation therefore extends beyond street-level enforcement to the regulation of access to medicines that may be misused, although the police account did not provide a consolidated figure for the seizures or the number of pharmacies inspected.
Police said they had identified drug users and admitted some individuals to rehabilitation centres. The campaign has also included awareness programmes under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan. Workers, students and National Service Scheme cadets were designated as “Nasha Mukt Mitr” to support community participation and encourage residents to engage with the anti-drug effort.
Senior police officers, subdivisional police officers and station house officers have held public meetings as part of the outreach programme. These meetings place local police units at the centre of the campaign, alongside enforcement activity and the identification of areas where residents may report or observe drug-related activity.
The police said Chandigarh recorded a higher conviction rate in cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act through September 2026 compared with the previous year. The supplied account did not state the conviction percentages or the number of cases underlying the comparison.
Youth-focused activities have also been included in the campaign. A marathon held in September attracted numerous participants, while a volleyball tournament organised in October carried the theme “100% Teams, 0% Drugs” and was held to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The wider regional focus was reflected in the National Motorcycle Rally 2026, in which police personnel from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh participated while travelling to Ekta Nagar in Gujarat under the theme “Fight Against Drugs”.
Chandigarh Police said the drive would continue, with further action focused on drug traffickers, supply-chain mapping, surveillance of identified hotspots and the expansion of rehabilitation services. The next phase will therefore retain both the enforcement and treatment components outlined by the police.
