Jalandhar, October 10, 2026: Jalandhar Commissionerate Police stepped up their campaign against the drug trade on Saturday by carrying out an intensive Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in residential areas falling under the West subdivision of the city.
Several police teams were deployed during the operation and carried out detailed checking of houses and other suspected locations. Video footage reviewed by The Jalandhar Times shows police personnel moving through residential lanes, entering premises and examining different parts of houses as part of the coordinated search operation.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of ACP West Aatish Bhatia, PPS, who was present on the ground and also briefed the media regarding the purpose of the police action.
According to the police, the drive is aimed at identifying people involved in the sale and distribution of narcotics and tracing the wider network operating behind street-level drug supply. Police teams are using local intelligence, previous criminal records and information gathered from different sources to identify locations requiring closer checking.
During the CASO, police personnel conducted thorough searches inside selected premises instead of limiting the operation to routine vehicle checking or road barricades. Rooms and other household areas were examined wherever police had specific information or grounds for verification.
ACP Aatish Bhatia said the police action is not restricted to catching individual peddlers. The focus is also on identifying those supplying narcotics, maintaining links with sellers or otherwise supporting the illegal network.
He indicated that if the involvement of additional persons surfaces during investigation, their role will be examined and legal action will be taken on the basis of evidence.
Police are also updating area-wise information regarding persons previously booked in NDPS cases as well as individuals who have come under scrutiny through fresh intelligence. Such information is being verified before any further legal action is initiated.
Officials stressed that being questioned, searched or appearing in an intelligence record does not by itself establish that a person is involved in drug trafficking. Criminal responsibility can only be determined through evidence and investigation under the applicable law.
The CASO strategy allows police to cordon sensitive areas and deploy several teams simultaneously, reducing the possibility of suspects leaving the locality or shifting suspected contraband while checking is underway.
The video from Saturday’s operation shows a visible police presence across the locality, with teams moving from one location to another while senior officers monitored the exercise.
Police sources said the crackdown is intended to maintain continuous pressure on the narcotics supply chain rather than depend only on isolated raids. Information collected during the operation will now be examined to determine whether further investigation or legal action is required.
The Commissionerate Police have also appealed to residents to share credible information regarding drug trafficking in their neighbourhoods. Officials have said such inputs will be verified confidentially before enforcement action is taken.
The latest CASO forms part of the wider anti-drug campaign being carried out across Punjab, with Jalandhar Police focusing particularly on suspected hotspots and local distribution networks.
ACP West Aatish Bhatia said police teams will continue taking action in areas where information regarding illegal drug activity is received, with the objective of identifying the complete chain rather than stopping only at street-level sellers.
More surprise checking and search operations are expected in the coming days as Commissionerate Police continue mapping suspected narcotics networks across Jalandhar.
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