Delhi Police Crushes Drug Networks, Destroys Narcotics Worth Rs 72 Crore

Delhi Police on Tuesday destroyed nearly 1,700 kilograms of seized narcotics worth around Rs 72 crore and announced the setting up of the capital’s first dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force police station as part of its intensified crackdown on drug trafficking.

The ninth mega drug destruction drive was led by Taranjit Singh Sandhu in the presence of Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and senior police officials at a waste disposal facility in north Delhi.

According to police, the destruction exercise formed part of the force’s zero tolerance policy against narcotics and targeted organised drug syndicates, traffickers and peddlers operating in the national capital.

The destroyed contraband included around 1,610 kilograms of cannabis, 21 kilograms of charas, 11 kilograms of heroin, 591 grams of cocaine, 21 kilograms of cannabis sativa and 30 kilograms of Alprazolam tablets seized by the crime branch and south district police units.

Addressing the gathering, Sandhu said the initiative was not merely about destroying narcotic substances but about dismantling an ecosystem that threatens the youth and harms society. He said the campaign reflected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Drug-Free India and the Union government’s resolve to curb narcotics trafficking nationwide.

The Lieutenant Governor also praised Delhi Police for its sustained anti-drug operations and urged citizens and stakeholders to support the fight against substance abuse.

Police officials said that with Tuesday’s exercise, Delhi Police has so far destroyed nearly 46,500 kilograms of narcotics worth an estimated Rs 13,830 crore in the international market since the launch of the anti-drug drive. Earlier destruction drives included over 15,700 kg of drugs in June 2023 and more than 10,600 kg in February and December 2024.

The police further said financial investigations against narcotics networks had been intensified, leading to the seizure of assets worth over Rs 11.25 crore this year.

Data shared by the force showed that 1,129 cases under the NDPS Act were registered in Delhi till April 30 this year, resulting in the arrest of 1,397 alleged drug traffickers and peddlers. Detention orders under the PITNDPS (Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988), a preventive detention law used to curb drug trafficking activities, have also been issued against nine alleged drug peddlers, while proposals against 48 repeat offenders involved in narco-smuggling are under process.