Haryana identifies 849 ‘high-risk’ drug smugglers, to tighten action against peddling networks

“Field officers have been ordered to treat it as an operational tool, not a static document,” said O P Singh, head of the HSNCB, on Thursday.

“This campaign is not a symbolic crackdown—it is a permanent structural shift. With 849 repeat offenders under a microscope, assets under scrutiny, and surveillance tightening across both street and prison networks, Haryana has made its position unmistakably clear. Our message to the smugglers is clear -‘if you’re in the trade, you’re in the crosshairs’,” Singh said.

As per the list, 730 identified traffickers are currently out of jail, 130 are behind bars and 381 are flagged as ‘active’, continuing to operate supply lines and influence peddling networks while 468 have been marked inactive. Eleven offenders have died over the past 10 years, stated Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau (HSNCB).

According to HSNCB, the initiative is aimed at data-driven disruption of drug trafficking networks operating in the state.

“The time for general strategies is over. We have identified the core of the problem—repeat offenders who thrive on bail, trial delays, and inconsistent follow-up. This live list is a signal: if you’re on it, the state is watching,” said Singh.

Sirsa, Fatehabad, and Yamunanagar, with the presence of the highest number of peddlers, remain to be notorious in terms of smuggler concentration. As per the list, Sirsa alone accounts for 117 names, including 106 still outside jail. “These districts have long been vulnerable corridors,” said a senior HSNCB official.

To further streamline enforcement, all districts have been mandated to register on the e-Tribune Portal — a centralised digital platform for filing financial investigation and conviction reports.

Senior police officers have directed the state’s Cyber Forensics Lab to provide priority support to investigating officers, particularly in decoding mobile data, financial apps, and encrypted digital trails.

“This is not about chasing foot soldiers. This is about collapsing the ecosystem. The myth that traffickers can hide behind trial delays, shell accounts, or digital camouflage—it ends now,” O P Singh, a 1992 batch IPS officer.

According to the officials, weekly reviews at the district and range levels are already underway, and officers have been advised that non-action will be treated as dereliction of duty.

According to the police, the public too can support the initiative by reporting anonymously on the MANAS portal, calling the 1933 drug helpline (24×7) and sharing a tip on WhatsApp (9080591805)

Haryana Police action plan:

•⁠ ⁠Preventive detention under PIT-NDPS for habitual traffickers

•⁠ ⁠Comprehensive financial investigations into illegally acquired property

•⁠ ⁠Proposals for acquiring illegal property to be submitted to the competent authority in New Delhi

•⁠ ⁠History-sheets to be opened or updated for all listed individuals

•⁠ ⁠Surveillance on visitors of jailed drug peddlers who are now classified as “persons of interest”

List of smugglers:

•⁠ ⁠849 total high-risk smugglers

•⁠ ⁠381 active offenders still out and operating

•⁠ ⁠730 out of jail, 130 still in custody

Hotspots in Haryana:

1.⁠ ⁠Sirsa – 117 drug smugglers (106 outside jail)

2.⁠ ⁠Fatehabad – 99 drug smugglers (67 active)