Chandigarh, September 13: An intensive multi-layered crackdown by the Punjab Police and Border Security Force (BSF) on narcotics smuggled across the international border with Pakistan has led to a sharp decline in the availability of street heroin in Punjab, prompting a significant shift in the State’s drug enforcement challenge towards pharmaceutical narcotics.

According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, the intensified action against drone-based cross-border smuggling has disrupted the supply of heroin, while pharmaceutical drugs smuggled from other Indian states have increasingly emerged as the most significant challenge.

Punjab Police is deploying nine anti-drone systems, including three “Baaj Akh” systems operational in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur since August 2025. Three new Drone Sense D200 Pro long-endurance mobile drone detection platforms were deployed at strategic locations in border districts from September 3, 2026. The systems are designed to detect and pinpoint drone activity and suspected dropping locations, enabling rapid ground intervention.

The anti-drone network is backed by 52 Drone Response Teams comprising 147 police personnel, working closely with the BSF to respond to alerts, search suspected drop locations and intercept individuals attempting to collect smuggled consignments. A further 64 second-line defence nakas, involving 600 police personnel, and 2,367 CCTV cameras installed across 585 locations strengthen surveillance.

Village Defence Committees in border areas have also been integrated with the Drone Response Teams, functioning as the “eyes and ears” of the police.

The “Yudh Nashiyan Virudh” campaign has resulted in nearly 80,000 arrests since March 1, 2025, while 486 drones have been recovered. Financial investigations have also targeted the economic foundations of drug networks, with properties worth more than Rs 336 crore frozen. Under the anti-drug information reward policy, a cash reward of Rs 25,000 is offered for every recovered drone, with nearly Rs 2 crore disbursed during the current year.

The Punjab Police said the combination of anti-drone technology, rapid response teams, BSF coordination, community vigilance, CCTV surveillance, intelligence-led action, financial investigations, rehabilitation and prevention measures has contributed to the decline in street availability of drugs smuggled from Pakistan.

However, the changing drug landscape has created a new challenge. Pharmaceutical narcotics manufactured outside Punjab are increasingly entering the State through interstate networks.

Data analysed from pharmaceutical seizures indicates that such drugs are manufactured largely in states including Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. Since 2025, Punjab Police has recovered 11.54 lakh pharmaceutical tablets and capsules from consignments linked to other states.

The police estimates that around 80 per cent of pharmaceutical drugs available in Punjab are entering the State from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and other states, marking a reversal of the earlier pattern in which around 80 per cent of drugs were reportedly smuggled across the international border with Pakistan.

The Punjab Police said the emerging pattern requires stronger interstate coordination targeting manufacturers, distributors and organised pharmaceutical drug networks. The matter will be taken up with the concerned states to strengthen regulation of manufacturing units and ensure continuous monitoring of the sale, purchase and transportation of pharmaceutical drugs to prevent their diversion into Punjab.