Gujarat Police to Set Up Dedicated Anti-Narcotics Wings Across All Districts

In a major move to intensify its crackdown on drug trafficking, the Gujarat Police has decided to establish dedicated Anti-Narcotics Wings (ANWs) in every district and city of the state.

The decision has been taken as part of the state’s “zero tolerance” policy against drug mafias, under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.

The new ANWs will function as specialised task forces exclusively dealing with offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, State Police Chief Gyanendra Singh Malik said.

All Units to Become Operational Within Seven Days

At present, cases related to narcotics are investigated by teams from the Local Crime Branch (LCB), Special Operations Group (SOG) and local police in different districts and cities.

With the new arrangement, dedicated ANWs will supplement these existing teams and focus specifically on combating drug-related offences.

Malik has directed that all the new units be made operational within the next seven days.

The state police said that in the past five years, more than 3,700 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, leading to the arrest of 5,346 accused persons. During the period, authorities seized more than 1.36 lakh kg of drugs worth over Rs 13,600 crore, dealing a major blow to international drug-smuggling networks.

Eight-Member Specialised Teams

Each ANW will comprise eight police personnel — one police inspector, one police sub-inspector, two assistant sub-inspectors/head constables and four police constables.

The units will be provided with a dedicated vehicle and driver.

At the district level, ANWs will operate under the direct supervision of the respective Superintendent of Police.

In the four major city commissionerates, Ahmedabad will have two units, Surat two, Vadodara one and Rajkot one, functioning under the supervision of the Joint/Additional Commissioners of Police.

ANWs to Focus Exclusively on Drug Offences

The Anti-Narcotics Wing will operate as a specialised task force and will be assigned no duties other than those related to NDPS offences.

The units will maintain continuous surveillance of drug peddlers and hotspots identified by the state-level Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).

The ANWs will also send proposals to CID Crime for preventive detention under PIT-NDPS against habitual drug offenders.

Local Police to Remain Accountable

The creation of dedicated ANWs will not relieve local police stations of their responsibility to detect and register NDPS cases.

The police department has made it clear that if negligence or dereliction of duty by local police personnel is found during an ANW investigation, strict disciplinary action will be taken against those responsible.

Gujarat Positions Itself as a National Model

The Gujarat Police said the state has introduced several measures to strengthen its fight against drug trafficking.

Drug Reward Policy and Out-of-Turn Promotions

Gujarat is the first state to introduce a Drug Reward Policy aimed at incentivising police personnel and informants who help uncover drug networks.

The state has also introduced an out-of-turn promotion policy for police personnel who carry out high-risk operations against drug traffickers.

AI-Based ‘NARIT’ Software

The police have also developed NARIT, an artificial intelligence-based software designed to help investigators trace dark-web activity, financial trails and international connections linked to drug networks.

The system is being used as part of efforts to strengthen scientific investigation and improve conviction rates in narcotics cases.

Focus on Rehabilitation

Alongside strict action against drug offenders, the state government said it is adopting a more sensitive approach towards young people affected by substance abuse.

Under Sanghavi’s guidance, de-addiction centres across Gujarat are being modernised to provide appropriate counselling and treatment to people struggling with addiction.