Yudh Nashian Virudh: Cops target hawala networks linked to drug trade

Chandigarh: Punjab Police has launched a three-day statewide drive against hawala operators accused of facilitating drug-money transactions, as part of the next phase of its anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh.DGP Gaurav Yadav said the campaign is focused on dismantling the financial networks that sustain narcotics trafficking."Punjab Police has adopted a robust financial disruption strategy aimed at identifying, tracing, freezing and confiscating assets generated through drug trafficking," he said.According to the DGP, the campaign has so far led to the arrest of 73 hawala operators and the seizure of Rs 10 crore in hawala money.Yadav said assets worth more than Rs 830 crore have been frozen under Section 68F of the NDPS Act since 2022, while over 1,727 property-freezing proposals have been confirmed by the competent authority.He added that police have also recovered more than Rs 20 crore in drug proceeds from accused persons since March 1 this year.The latest drive seeks to target the financial backbone of narcotics networks by tracking illegal money flows and disrupting funding channels used by drug traffickers.