Punjab Police Launches Statewide Crackdown on Drug-Linked Hawala Operators to Cripple Narcotics Networks

CHANDIGARH, June 10, 2026 — In a major decisive blow against the financial ecosystems of organized drug syndicates, the Punjab Police, led by Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, IPS, has officially launched the next phase of its flagship ‘#YudhNashianVirudh’ (YNV) campaign.

This newly initiated, intensive three-day statewide special enforcement drive specifically targets illegal hawala operators who actively facilitate the covert movement of illicit drug money to sustain cross-border and domestic narcotics networks.

Emphasizing a strict zero-tolerance policy, the police department is leveraging rigorous legal and financial strategies to completely dismantle the economic backbone of drug traffickers and realize the vision of a completely drug-free state.

The continuous success of the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign highlights an aggressive enforcement trajectory, with 73 hawala operators arrested and ₹10 crore in illicit hawala money recovered so far. Under the stringent Section 68F of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Punjab Police has successfully frozen illegally acquired assets worth over ₹830 crore since 2022.

This financial crackdown has significantly escalated recently, with more than ₹20 crore in direct drug proceeds recovered since March 1, 2025, alongside the official confirmation of 1,727 property-freezing proposals by the Competent Authority.

By maintaining this sustained legal onslaught against drug proceeds, hawala channels, and tainted properties, the Punjab Police continues to systematically paralyze the infrastructure of organized narcotics trading across the state.