Gurdaspur — despite years of promises, Punjab’s war against drugs is faltering, with alarming reports of surging drug peddling in Punjab’s border districts. Anonymous sources confirm that trafficking has intensified in Gurdaspur, Qadian, Dera Baba Nanak, and Amritsar, exposing systemic weaknesses and raising fears of collusion.
Growing menace in Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts
Gurdaspur has emerged as a troubling hotspot in Punjab’s ongoing War against drugs. Local sources report that peddlers have infiltrated communities, operating with near impunity. In Qadian and Dera Baba Nanak, addiction cases are rising sharply, with young men increasingly turning to heroin, synthetic opioids, and pharmaceutical substitutes.
Amritsar, once celebrated for its cultural and spiritual heritage, has become another flashpoint. Residents describe neighborhoods where drug use is rampant, families are broken apart, and youth recruitment into trafficking networks is commonplace. Anonymous community members told reporters that drug dens flourish even in sight of police patrols.
The picture is grim. Punjab, a frontline state bordering Pakistan, has long been vulnerable to narcotics smuggling. Yet what alarms observers most today is not just the inflow of drugs but the brazen local distribution networks thriving in plain sight.
Cracks in Punjab’s war against drugs
India’s War against drugs has been a central theme in political speeches and police announcements for years. Successive governments have pledged to curb trafficking, increase surveillance, and rehabilitate addicts. But the reality on the ground in Punjab tells a different story.
Reports from Gurdaspur and Amritsar suggest that traffickers often receive prior warnings of police raids, allowing them to evade capture. Such leaks suggest systemic corruption or intelligence failures that undermine enforcement.
“How can we believe in the War against Drugs when the peddlers know before the police arrive? Someone inside is protecting them. Until this nexus is broken, nothing will change.”
Local drug stores are feeding the crisis
Adding to the crisis, anonymous reports indicate that several local drug stores in Gurdaspur and Amritsar are illegally selling medicines to addicts without valid drug licenses or practitioner authority. These shops allegedly supply habit-forming painkillers, sedatives, and other controlled substances to known addicts under the guise of over-the-counter sales.
Community members allege that these unlicensed sales fuel the addiction epidemic, providing addicts with a constant supply of pharmaceutical drugs even when narcotics are unavailable. Such practices are in direct violation of India’s drug control laws, yet the shops reportedly continue to operate openly.
Suspicion of official involvement
Perhaps most troubling are allegations that drug control officials may be complicit in sustaining this underground market. While no names have publicly emerged, sources say certain officials have turned a blind eye to illegal practices or actively shielded the offenders.
“It is impossible for unlicensed drug stores to openly sell to addicts without protection,” said a resident of Dera Baba Nanak. “We are convinced that some officials are involved. It will be confirmed only after a full investigation.”
This potential collusion represents another crack in the War against Drugs, undermining trust in institutions meant to safeguard public health.
Urgent call for police intervention
Community activists and whistleblowers have urged the Punjab police to intervene immediately before the situation worsens. Without decisive enforcement against illegal drug stores, local networks, and complicit officials, Punjab risks an escalation that could spiral beyond control.
“If police do not act now, this War against Drugs will be lost on the ground,” said one anonymous source. “The future of our children is at stake. Punjab police must launch strict action before the situation turns dire.”
Local communities under siege
The impact of the drug crisis is not abstract; it is painfully personal for families across Punjab. In Qadian, parents of addicts describe losing their children to substance abuse before they can even finish school. In Dera Baba Nanak, one family, speaking anonymously, recounts how rising petty crime, domestic violence, and theft in their community are directly linked to drug dependence.
Many families avoid reporting cases for fear of retaliation. In some neighborhoods, drug dealers are said to wield more influence than local authorities, intimidating whistleblowers and discouraging cooperation with police.
The War against Drugs, far from bringing relief, feels like an empty slogan to many residents who see little change in their daily lives.
Border vulnerabilities fueling crisis
Punjab’s geography adds another layer of complexity. With its proximity to international borders, particularly Pakistan, the state remains highly exposed to narcotics smuggling. Experts argue that porous checkpoints, lack of advanced scanning technology, and political distractions have allowed cartels to move drugs across with relative ease.
But what is equally troubling is how quickly smuggled drugs penetrate local supply chains. Powerful drug peddlers in Gurdaspur and Amritsar often operate as middlemen for larger syndicates. This decentralized network makes enforcement crackdowns more difficult and ensures the trade continues despite high‑profile seizures.
In a disturbing extension of the War against Drugs, several regional reports and investigative analyses have raised longstanding allegations that elements within the Pakistan Army, and in some versions its intelligence wing, maintain networks to distribute narcotics into neighboring countries, including India, according to Washington Post, While such charges remain unproven and contested, they underscore the potential international scope of the drug crisis, further complicating efforts at local containment.
Political indifference and systemic apathy
Critics say the failure of the War against Drugs is not only due to smugglers’ ingenuity but also due to political apathy. While politicians routinely promise to eradicate drug trafficking, follow-through has been inconsistent.
Election seasons often see candidates visiting afflicted villages, pledging sweeping reforms, only to abandon them once in office. Several analysts believe that elements within local politics benefit financially or strategically from the drug trade, further entrenching the crisis.
A retired police officer, speaking anonymously, revealed:
“This is not just a law enforcement issue. It is political. The War against Drugs cannot succeed if those in power see profit in the failure.”
Punjab’s struggle with drugs
The Punjab crisis also reflects a national challenge. Punjab’s War against Drugs has historically focused on seizures and arrests but has paid less attention to rehabilitation and prevention. As a result, the cycle of addiction and trafficking repeats.
National Crime Records Bureau data shows an alarming increase in drug-related arrests in northern states over the past decade. Yet despite these numbers, the availability of narcotics has only grown, pointing to the limited impact of supply-side enforcement alone.
Experts argue for a more comprehensive approach: combining law enforcement with public health strategies, addiction treatment, and community awareness. Without such efforts, the War against Drugs risks being reduced to a symbolic gesture.
Punjab’s War against drugs is at risk of being lost
Punjab’s War against Drugs is at a crossroads. In Gurdaspur, Qadian, Dera Baba Nanak, and Amritsar, the situation grows worse with each passing day. Families are torn apart, illegal drug stores feed the crisis, and suspicions of official collusion threaten to discredit enforcement altogether.
If authorities fail to act decisively by investigating leaks, shutting down illegal pharmacies, dismantling local networks, and investing in rehabilitation, the War against Drugs will become less of a campaign and more of a tragic reminder of what India could not control.
For the people of Punjab, the cost of failure is measured not in political reputations but in lives lost to addiction.
