Haryana cracks down on repeat offenders in fight against drugs

Orders to detain repeat offenders under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act that allows preventive detention for up to one year without trial.

If you’re one of the 730 identified traffickers out on bail and still daring to peddle drugs, you’re squarely in the crosshairs of Haryana Police.

Orders have been issued to detain repeat offenders under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act that allows preventive detention of up to one year without trial. (Representational photo)

With this fresh offensive against the narcotics trade, the police have rolled out what has been billed as ‘beyond the boots’ offensive by circulating to all field units a “live, dynamic list of 860 high-profile drug smugglers” accompanied by strict orders for targeted enforcement.

Each identified repeat drug smuggler now under the scanner has been booked in three or more cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) in the past decade.

Orders have been issued to detain repeat offenders under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act that allows preventive detention of up to one year without trial.

This strategy, a part of the multi-pronged offensive of the Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau (HSNCB), reflects a shift from general enforcement to focused, data-driven disruption of drug trafficking networks.

Structural shift

“The time for general strategies is over,” said DGP OP Singh, the head of the HSNCB, emphasising that this campaign is not a symbolic crackdown but a permanent structural shift.

“With 860 repeat offenders under the scanner, assets under scrutiny, and surveillance tightening across both street and prison networks, Haryana has made its position unmistakably clear. We have identified the core of the problem — repeat offenders who thrive on bail, trial delays, and inconsistent follow-up. This live list is a signal: If you’re on it, the state is watching.”

Of the 860 identified traffickers, 730 are out of jail at present, while an additional 130 are behind bars.

As many as 381 traffickers are flagged as ‘active’, continuing to operate supply lines and influence peddling networks, and 468 have been marked inactive even as 11 offenders have died over the past 10 years.

The “live list”, which is being continuously updated by the police headquarters, includes district-wise tracking of each smuggler’s legal status, activity level, and action history. Field officers have been ordered to treat it as an operational tool, not a static document.

Sirsa, Fatehabad, and Yamunanagar top the list in terms of smuggler concentration, with Sirsa alone accounting for 117 names, including 106 still outside jail.

“These districts have long been vulnerable corridors. Now, they are ground zero for targeted enforcement,” a senior HSNCB official said.

Explaining the importance of this crackdown, officials say most of the organised drug networks regenerate through repeat smugglers out on bail; family and associates of jailed leaders and unseized illegal wealth. “This crackdown is about disrupting command, economy and logistics of drug peddlers,” the official said.

Beyond boots

HSNCB chief OP Singh said that Haryana is also boosting its technical capabilities. The state’s Cyber Forensics Lab has been directed to provide priority support to investigating officers, particularly in decoding mobile data, financial apps, and encrypted digital trails.

“This is not about chasing foot soldiers,” Singh clarified. “This is about busting the ecosystem. The myth that traffickers can hide behind trial delays, shell accounts, or digital camouflage — it ends now.”

Field units have been directed to start preventive detention of repeat offenders under the PIT-NDPS Act and hold comprehensive financial investigations into illegally acquired property. Orders have been issued to submit confiscation proposals to the competent authority in New Delhi, besides history sheets will be opened or updated for all listed individuals. The surveillance will be increased on jail visitors, who are now classified as persons of interest.

Singh said to streamline enforcement, all districts have been mandated to register on the e-Tribunal Portal — a centralised digital platform for filing financial investigation and conviction reports. This will ensure legal timelines are met under the NDPS Act, while building digital traceability for every confiscation.

Weekly reviews at the district and range levels are already underway, and officers have been advised that non-action will be treated as dereliction of duty.

With Haryana starting this data-led, district-specific narcotics enforcement, officials insist that the question isn’t if smugglers will be caught, it’s how soon. “If you’re in the trade, you’re in the crosshairs,” Singh adds.

WAR AGAINST DRUGS

‘Live list’ in hands of all field units

860 top smugglers with 3+ NDPS cases identified

730 out of jail, 130 in custody

381 active offenders still out and operating

Offenders mapped by district, status, and activity level

A first-of-its-kind live tracking tool in state enforcement

TOP THREE HOTSPOTS

Sirsa: 117 smugglers, 106 outside jail

Fatehabad: 99 smugglers, 67 active

Yamunanagar: 81 smugglers

FIELD UNITS ORDERED TO

Initiate PIT-NDPS detention for repeat offenders

Begin financial investigations under Chapter V-A of NDPS Act

File for confiscation of assets

Monitor visitors of jailed traffickers as persons of interest

NEW TECH INTEGRATION

All districts must join the e-Tribunal Portal to:

File financial and conviction reports

Track case status with the competent authority

Submit digital confiscation proposals

HOW PUBLIC CAN SUPPORT

Report anonymously on MANAS Portal

Call 1933 drug helpline

WhatsApp: 90805-91805