Punjab’s anti-drug strategy shifts to conviction-led policing

Punjab’s anti-drug campaign is showing a shift towards conviction-led policing, with authorities reporting a steady rise in conviction rates under the NDPS Act over the past four years.

Official data shows conviction rates improving from 80% in 2022 to 88% in 2025, with 2026 figures so far indicating a further increase to around 89% in cases decided by courts.

The campaign, Yudh Nashean Virudh, backed by the Punjab government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has focused on strengthening the quality of investigations and ensuring cases hold up during trial.

Officials said the approach marks a departure from an earlier emphasis on arrests and seizures towards building legally sustainable cases through prosecution-led investigations, scientific evidence collection and strict adherence to procedures under the NDPS Act.

Training and institutional reforms have been central to this strategy. Investigating officers are undergoing structured training programmes, including certification courses conducted in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, to improve evidence handling and case documentation.

Authorities have also adopted intelligence-led policing, supported by digital platforms that enable citizen inputs, and enhanced coordination between police, prosecutors and forensic teams.

Another key pillar has been financial investigation, with agencies increasingly tracking money trails linked to drug networks and initiating action to attach assets derived from illegal activities.

Officials noted that the NDPS Act’s stringent procedural safeguards make case quality critical, as lapses in documentation or evidence handling can weaken prosecution.

“The emphasis is on ensuring that every case is evidence-based and capable of standing judicial scrutiny,” an official said, adding that higher conviction rates are expected to strengthen deterrence.

Punjab’s geographical position along a major trafficking corridor has made enforcement complex, but authorities say the evolving model—combining investigation quality, financial tracking and institutional coordination—could offer lessons for other states dealing with organised drug networks.