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Punjab faces pharma drug threat as drone tech chokes heroin inflow
11 lakh pharmaceutical tablets, capsules recovered from consignments linked to six states since 2025, Malwa emerges as key hotspot
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With anti-drone operations helping curb the cross-border flow of heroin, Punjab is now facing a new challenge in the form of pharmaceutical narcotics sourced from other states, particularly in the Malwa districts.
To further tighten its border surveillance, the Punjab Police have deployed three new Drone Sense D200 Pro systems at strategic locations in the border districts since September 3. The long-endurance mobile systems can detect and pinpoint drone activity and suspected locations where narcotics consignments are dropped, enabling ground teams to reach the spots
The new systems add to the three Baaj Akh anti-drone systems already operational in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur since August 2025, providing drone detection and jamming capabilities.
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Punjab police's drone response
The Punjab Police has nine anti-drone systems in all and has also deployed 52 Drone Response Teams comprising 147 personnel along the border in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF). The teams respond to drone alerts, search suspected drop locations and intercept people allegedly involved in collecting smuggled consignments.
The anti-drone response is backed by 64 second-line defence nakas involving around 600 police personnel and 2,367 CCTV cameras installed at 585 locations. Village Defence Committees in border areas have also been linked with the Drone Response Teams to provide information about suspicious activity.
Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav told HT that the combination of anti-drone technology, rapid response teams, BSF coordination, CCTV surveillance and community participation was disrupting the supply of drugs smuggled across the international border.
He said so far 486 drones had been recovered . A reward of ₹25,000 is being given for information leading to the recovery of each drone, with nearly ₹2 crore distributed under the scheme this year.
Police analysis, however, shows that the drug supply pattern is changing, with pharmaceutical narcotics increasingly gaining ground in the state.
Pharmaceutical narcotics from other states
Data analysed from seizures shows that a large share of pharmaceutical drugs seized in Punjab are manufactured outside the state. Since 2025, police have recovered 11.54 lakh pharmaceutical tablets and capsules from consignments linked to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.
Police estimate that around 80% of pharmaceutical drugs available in Punjab are coming from these states.
“The challenge is now shifting towards pharmaceutical drugs diverted from other states. We are strengthening our response against such networks and will work with the concerned states to ensure tighter regulation of manufacturing, sale and transportation so that these drugs do not enter Punjab’s illegal drug supply chain,” Yadav said.
He said the police would continue to target both cross-border smuggling and drug networks operating within the state.
“We have launched the ‘Yudh Nashiyan Virudh’ campaign to fight drug smuggling both across the international border and within our territory, and will continue to strengthen our efforts on both fronts,” he said.
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Financial investigations into drug networks have also resulted in properties worth more than ₹336 crore being frozen, police said.
Punjab plans to take up the diversion of pharmaceutical drugs with the state governments concerned, seeking tighter regulation of pharmaceutical manufacturing units and monitoring of the sale, purchase and transportation of such drugs.
“The focus will be on preventing legally manufactured pharmaceutical drugs from being diverted into illegal supply networks in Punjab,” officials said.
