NEW DELHI: The Delhi police destroyed around 1,700 kg of seized narcotic substances worth nearly Rs 72 crore and announced a major institutional push against drug trafficking with the approval of the capital’s first dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) police station.
Addressing the event, Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said the fight against narcotics is not merely a law enforcement exercise but a collective social responsibility aimed at protecting families and the future of society. He said Delhi has resolved to achieve the goal of becoming a drug-free city by 2027 and stressed that coordinated action among agencies and citizens is essential to dismantle drug networks operating in the capital.
Announcing the new ANTF police station, Sandhu said the dedicated unit would improve focused enforcement, strengthen coordination and enhance sustained action against narcotics syndicates. He added that the fight against drugs cannot succeed through isolated efforts and requires participation from police, schools, families, health agencies, civil society organisations, media platforms and local communities. “Drugs do not merely break laws—they break lives. They weaken families, disturb neighbourhoods, and feed organised crime,” the L-G said during the event.
According to Delhi Police, the destroyed narcotics included around 1,610 kg cannabis, 21 kg charas, 11 kg heroin, 591 grams cocaine, 21 kg cannabis sativa and nearly 30 kg Alprazolam tablets seized by the Crime Branch and South district units. The disposal exercise was carried out as part of ongoing efforts to eliminate seized narcotics after completion of legal formalities.
Police data showed that till April 30 this year, a total of 1,129 cases under the NDPS Act were registered in Delhi, leading to the arrest of 1,397 drug traffickers and peddlers. Financial investigations linked to narcotics trafficking have also resulted in seizure of assets worth more than Rs 11.25 crore.
Officials further said detention orders under the PITNDPS Act have been issued against nine drug peddlers this year, out of which two have been lodged in Chennai jail to break their local criminal networks. Proposals against 48 repeat offenders allegedly involved in narco-smuggling and trafficking are also under process.
Police added that over the past three years, eight such drug destruction drives have been conducted in the national capital. In total, narcotics weighing nearly 46,500 kg and valued at around `13,830 crore in the international market have been destroyed during this period.
Sandhu lauds police for restoring stolen phones
Delhi Police on Tuesday handed over more than 12,600 stolen and lost mobile phones to their rightful owners under its special initiative ‘Operation Vishwas’, officials said. The L-G praised Delhi Police for launching the initiative and said the recovery drive reflected a more citizen-centric and technology-enabled policing system.