3-day Statewide Special campaign against illegal Hawala operators to crack down on Narco-financing
73 Hawala operators held with 10 crore Hawala money since March 1, 2025: DGP
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, June 10, 2026: Stepping up its decisive war against drugs as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police has launched the next phase of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign with a focused three-day statewide Special Campaign against illegal hawala traders and operators— who facilitate the movement of drug money and sustain narcotics networks, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.
“Punjab Police has adopted a robust financial disruption strategy under the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign, aimed at identifying, tracing, freezing and confiscating the financial assets generated through drug trafficking,” said the DGP.
Since the launch of the campaign, Punjab Police has systematically dismantled the financial infrastructure of organised drug trafficking networks through sustained legal action against drug traffickers, hawala operators, drug proceeds, and illegally acquired assets. The campaign further seeks to dismantle the economic infrastructure of drug syndicates.
DGP Gaurav Yadav highlighted that the aggressive targeting of clandestine channels has dealt a severe blow to narco-hawala syndicates. In the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign so far, dedicated enforcement operations have led to the arrest of 73 hawala operators and the recovery of ₹10 crore in hawala money.
To deprive drug traffickers of their illicit gains and create a lasting deterrent, DGP Gaurav Yadav revealed that assets worth over ₹830 crore have been frozen under Section 68F of the NDPS Act since 2022. More than 1,727 property-freezing proposals have been successfully confirmed by the Competent Authority, he added.
Alongside these major actions against illicit financial facilitators, police teams have also recovered more than ₹20 crore in drug proceeds from the accused persons since March 1, 2025 alone.
Terming this unprecedented success heavily supported by intensive investigations and intelligence-led policing, the DGP said, “The fight against narcotics cannot be won through arrests and seizures alone. By targeting hawala networks, proceeds of crime, and illegally acquired properties, we are depriving traffickers of their economic benefits and ensuring they cannot reinvest proceeds into illegal activities.”
Meanwhile, the Punjab police force has adopted a zero-tolerance approach against drugs and remains firmly committed to breaking the financial backbone of drug trafficking.