UP Steps Up Action Against Narcotics Traffickers; Properties Worth ₹80 Crore Seized In 2026

Lucknow, September 24: The impact of the Yogi government's zero-tolerance policy against narcotics continues to be visible across Uttar Pradesh. The UP Police and the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) have intensified action against traffickers involved in the narcotics trade while also tightening the noose around their illegally acquired properties. Action for the detention of narcotics traffickers has gained momentum. Till September 23, 2026, action under the PIT NDPS Act was taken against 71 traffickers in the state.

UP DGP Rajeev Krishna said that the objective of the anti-narcotics campaign is not only to arrest traffickers but also to dismantle their entire network and confiscate the illegal assets acquired through the narcotics trade. Action is being intensified towards achieving the goal of making Uttar Pradesh drug-free by 2029.

Special emphasis has also been placed on crippling the financial network of traffickers by confiscating properties acquired through the narcotics trade. In 2025, properties worth approximately Rs 19 crore were confiscated in 29 cases. In 2026, till September 23, illegal properties worth approximately Rs 80 crore were confiscated in 69 cases.

Under the PIT NDPS Act, action was taken against seven traffickers in the state in 2024 during the Yogi government, including five actions by the ANTF. In 2025, detention proceedings were initiated against 19 traffickers, while in 2026, action was taken against 71 traffickers. Of these, the ANTF took action against 33 traffickers in 2026. Action relating to confiscation of illegal properties has also increased consistently in the state. In 2024, the ANTF confiscated properties worth approximately Rs 1 crore in four cases. In 2025, the ANTF took action worth approximately Rs 17 crore in 28 cases, while in 2026, it undertook action worth approximately Rs 13 crore in 40 cases. According to figures of the combined action taken by the Police and ANTF, total confiscations in 2026 amounted to approximately Rs 78.5 crore.

Under the PIT NDPS Act, detention action has been taken against notorious narcotics traffickers including Gurumel Singh, Bhola Prasad, Sanjeev Rana, Vibhor Rana, Shermani Patel and Parmanand alias Pappu.

Strike at the root of the narcotics trade

The DGP said that our action is not limited to the arrest of traffickers. Under Sections 68(E) and 68(F) of the NDPS Act, properties acquired through narcotics trafficking are first provisionally frozen and, after investigation and due hearing, permanently confiscated. Through this process, traffickers are also being weakened financially.

Published on: Thursday, September 24, 2026, 11:16 PM IST