Gujarat Police to establish Anti-Narcotics Wings in every district

The Gujarat Police are establishing dedicated Anti-Narcotics Wings (ANWs) in every district and commissionerate to combat drug trafficking and abuse. Ordered by Director General of Police Gyanendra Singh Malik, these specialized units are expected to become operational within seven days.

Operating under a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy, the ANWs will function similarly to the state-level Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF). Each unit will consist of eight personnel, including one police inspector, one sub-inspector, two assistant sub-inspectors or head constables, and four constables, along with a dedicated vehicle.

In the four major commissionerates, Ahmedabad and Surat will each host two units, while Vadodara and Rajkot will each have one. These units will focus exclusively on offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, conducting surveillance on drug hotspots and proposing preventive actions against habitual offenders.

This initiative follows a period in which Gujarat registered over 3,700 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested 5,346 individuals. During the last five years, authorities seized more than 1.36 lakh kg of narcotic substances, valued at approximately Rs 13,600 crore.