Chandigarh: Haryana has arrested 6,824 people and attached properties worth Rs 19.5 crore in its intensified crackdown on drug trafficking in the first nine months of 2026, with authorities identifying 12 drug cartels for dismantling and setting a Rs 30-crore property attachment target by Dec.Chief secretary Anurag Rastogi reviewed the enforcement drive, prosecution outcomes and rehabilitation measures at the 14th state-level Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) committee meeting on Friday.ADGP, Haryana State Narcotic Control Bureau (HSNCB), Sanjay Kumar said property attachments surged nearly 230% from Rs 5.9 crore in Jan-Sept 2025 to Rs 19.52 crore during the corresponding period this year. The number of individuals whose properties were attached rose 109% from 78 to 163. Properties worth another Rs 15 crore are under consideration by the competent authority in Delhi.Cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act increased 39.93% to 3,809 from 2,722, while arrests rose 26.53% from 5,393 to 6,824. Cases involving commercial quantities of drugs climbed 9.83% to 380.Heroin seizures nearly doubled to 84.7 kg from 43 kg, while opium recoveries rose 82.69% to 430 kg. Cocaine seizures increased to around 2.9 kg, while MDMA recoveries reached approximately 1.7 kg.The conviction rate improved from 53.3% to 58.3%. Fifty NDPS cases have been identified for close monitoring with the Directorate of Prosecution. In one case, the court awarded 14 years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh.Cartels, fugitives under scannerAuthorities have identified 29 fugitives linked to the campaign. Two Blue Corner Notices and one Red Corner Notice have been issued, with the matter taken up with the Narcotics Control Bureau. Districts have also been directed to initiate lookout notices and passport revocation proceedings.Since 2022, 163 habitual drug offenders have been placed under preventive detention. Haryana has set a target of 70 such detentions between January 2026 and March 2027.The meeting also reviewed financial investigations in commercial-quantity cases, a specialised cyber cell to tackle drug networks using the darknet, cryptocurrency and social media, and an SOP for monitoring precursor chemicals.Officials discussed bringing all 127 de-addiction centres under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and strengthening forensic laboratory capacity to ensure timely drug examination reports.
