Crackdown on drug traffickers in Uttar Pradesh: Tenfold jump in preventive detentions in two years

DGP Rajiv Krishna says the aim is to target both the networks involved in drug trafficking and the wealth generated through the trade

Uttar Pradesh Police have significantly stepped up the use of preventive detention and financial provisions against habitual drug traffickers. Seventy-one of them were detained under the PIT-NDPS Act until September 23 this year, more than 10 times the seven detentions recorded in 2024, according to a press note shared from UP Police headquarters on Thursday.

Of this year’s 71 detentions, ANTF initiated proceedings against 33 habitual traffickers, while the district police handled the remaining cases. (For Representation)

According to it, the number stood at 19 in 2025, according to figures released by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF). Of this year’s 71 detentions, ANTF initiated proceedings against 33 habitual traffickers, while the district police handled the remaining cases.

The police have also targeted drug-linked assets worth about ₹78.5 crore in 69 cases this year under Sections 68(E) and 68(F) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

ANTF accounted for 40 such cases involving assets worth around ₹13 crore, while the state police reported 38 cases involving about ₹68.5 crore. In comparison, ANTF acted against assets worth ₹1 crore in four cases in 2024 and ₹17 crore in 28 cases in 2025.

The figures indicate a growing emphasis on preventive detention and choking the financial resources of trafficking networks, alongside conventional criminal proceedings. The figures are based on data available till September 23.

DGP Rajiv Krishna said the aim was to target both the networks involved in drug trafficking and the wealth generated through the trade. “Our objective is not merely to arrest traffickers, but to dismantle their entire network and seize the illegal wealth amassed through the drug trade,” he added.

The PIT-NDPS Act provides for preventive detention of persons involved in illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Sections 68(E) and 68(F) provide for action against properties believed to have been illegally acquired through drug trafficking, subject to the prescribed legal process. The state police said the measures were part of its broader objective of making Uttar Pradesh drug-free by 2029.