Gujarat Police seize drugs worth Rs 13,600 crore in five years

Gujarat Police have seized more than 136 lakh kilograms of narcotic substances worth over Rs 13600 crore and arrested 5346 people in connection with drug trafficking cases over the past five years as the state intensified its campaign against organised drug networks and international smuggling operationsThe figures were released ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 with senior state officials highlighting the results of antinarcotics operations carried out across Gujarat during the periodDirector General of Police DGP GS Malik said the state governments zero tolerance policy towards drug trafficking had been rigorously implemented on the groundMore than 3700 cases related to the trafficking and trade of narcotic substances had been registered during the past five years leading to the arrest and imprisonment of 5346 accused persons he saidMalik said police had seized more than 136 lakh kilograms of drugs valued at over Rs 13600 crore through a series of strategic operations He added that the action had broken the backbone of international drug smuggling networksDeputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said Gujarat Polices sustained operations had significantly disrupted trafficking routes Today mafias involved in the drug trade are afraid to transport their consignments to other states through Gujarat he said The state has also introduced measures to strengthen antidrug enforcementGujarat became the first state in the country to implement a formal Drug Reward Policy under which police personnel who expose major drug networks and seize large quantities of narcotics as well as citizens and informants who provide credible intelligence receive financial incentivesIn addition the government has adopted a policy of granting outofturn promotions to police personnel who risk their lives while exposing international drug racketsOfficials said Gujarat has also developed an artificial intelligencebased software system named NARIT for profiling offenders and tracking criminal networksAccording to the police the software analyses criminal records financial transactions international links and digital connections to support investigations and strengthen cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances NDPS ActAs part of its antinarcotics strategy the state has established an AntiNarcotics Task Force ANTF to target international supply chains and trafficking networksLocal police stations have also been authorised to register and directly investigate narcotics cases a responsibility previously handled primarily by specialised units such as the ATS and SOGEfforts are also underway to create dedicated antinarcotics cells in every district to curb the spread of drugs in urban and rural areas including remote villagesPolice data show that 315 narcotics cases were registered in Gujarat in 2020 In the first five months of 2026 alone 584 cases have already been registeredOfficials said the increase reflected stronger surveillance and enforcement rather than a rise in drug activity Sanghavi said the campaign was not limited to law enforcementThis fight is not limited to arresting criminals it is also about safely rescuing the youth of the state who have fallen into the trap of addiction he saidHe said the government had strengthened and modernised deaddiction centres and was providing counselling and medical treatment to help affected individuals return to mainstream societyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever