251 Arrested as North Delhi Police Intensify Month-Long Crime Drive

Delhi Police arrested 251 people and registered 180 cases during a month-long crime crackdown in North Delhi in September, targeting street crime, illegal gambling, drug peddling, bootlegging, illegal arms and property offences. The operation, conducted from September 1 to 30, saw police teams from various stations and specialised units intensify patrolling, checking and surveillance at vulnerable locations across the district.

In action against robbers and snatchers, police registered 28 cases and arrested 40 people, recovering 20 mobile phones, three gold rings, two gold chains, two pistols and four knives, besides two-wheelers. Police also arrested 23 people under the NDPS Act, recovering 12.6 kg of ganja, 211.3 grams of charas and 132.24 grams of smack, along with 100 buprenorphine tablets, 10 Avil injection vials and 10 hypodermic syringes with needles.

The crackdown also targeted illicit liquor. Police registered 22 cases under the Excise Act and arrested 24 people, recovering 1,779 quarter bottles, 35 liquor bottles and 117 beer cans. Officials said the liquor was allegedly brought from adjoining states for illegal distribution in Delhi.

Illegal gambling accounted for 13 cases and 69 arrests, with police seizing ₹2.32 lakh in stake money, two mobile phones and playing cards. Another 88 cases involving theft, burglary, motor vehicle theft and other offences resulted in 88 arrests. Police also apprehended seven proclaimed offenders and recovered 30 two-wheelers and two auto-rickshaws.

The overall seizures included 75 mobile phones, 53 illegal e-cigarettes/vapes, two sacks of cardamom, 25 cartons of bidis and around ₹6.62 lakh in cash.

The September drive followed Operation Chakra 72, conducted by North District Police from August 24 to 27, which resulted in 193 arrests and 154 FIRs. That operation included 63 Excise Act arrests, 21 NDPS arrests, 22 Arms Act arrests and 87 gambling arrests, with 10,122 quarter bottles, 22 knives, three country-made pistols, two live cartridges and four stolen two-wheelers among the recoveries.

The successive operations come amid a wider Delhi Police focus on organised and petty organised crime. Cases under Sections 111 and 112 of the BNS rose from 634 in January-May 2025 to 736 during the corresponding period of 2026, while arrests increased from 769 to 1,232.

Police said the latest operation strengthened surveillance and action against repeat and active offenders. While the figures demonstrate the scale of enforcement, their impact on long-term crime levels will require comparison with subsequent crime data.