IN VIEW OF COMING FESTIVE SEASON, STRINGENT ACTION AGAINST NARCO-OFFENDERS & ORGANIZED CRIME UNDER OPERATION KAVACH-10.O

• SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS CONDUCTED AT 2003          LOCATIONS        ACROSS 15 DISTRICTS OF DELHI BY ALL        DISTRICTS/UNITS,          INCLUDING THE CRIME BRANCH &      SPECIAL CELL.
• IN A SERIES OF COORDINATED AND TARGETED ACTION, 120      NARCO-OFFENDERS WERE ARRESTED IN 96 NDPS CASES,    RESULTING IN THE RECOVERY OF A SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITY OF     DRUGS & CASH. 158.9 GRAMS OF HEROIN, 40.276 KG OF GANJA, 108 GM OF COCAINE & ? 21,08,400/- LAKH CASH.
• ADDITIONALLY, 269 CASES REGISTERED UNDER DELHI EXCISE         ACT, WITH ARREST OF 269 INDIVIDUALS & 115 BEER BOTTLES, 278 BEER CANS, 337 LIQUOR BOTTLES AND 33,310 QUARTERS OF ILLICIT LIQUOR SEIZED. 1507 PERSONS WERE ARRESTED UNDER 40 A & B DELHI EXCISE ACT.
• BESIDES, 117 PERSONS ARRESTED IN 115 ARMS ACT CASES        WITH RECOVERY OF 02 PISTOLS, 16 COUNTRY-MADE      PISTOLS/DESI-KATTA, 23 LIVE CARTRIDGES & 95 KNIVES.
• ALSO 358 PERSONS WITH RECOVERY OF ? 3,98,806/- CASH ARRESTED IN 192 CASES OF GAMBLING ACT.
• FURTHERMORE, 26 PROCLAIMED OFFENDERS, 24 AUTO LIFTERS ARRESTED WITH RECOVERY OF 50 TWO WHEELERS. 2339 VEHICLES ALSO SEIZED U/S 66 DP ACT.

1. UNDER PREVENTIVE ACTION, 717 PERSONS WERE ARRESTED U/S 126/170 BNSS TO PREVENT THE INDIVIDUAL FOR COMMISSION OF OFFENCES. 6321 INDIVIDUALS WERE TAKEN INTO PREVENTIVE CUSTODY, 20854 PERSONS WERE DETAINED UNDER 65 DP ACT.

1. ACTION U/S 128, 129, 126/169 BNSS & U/S 28/112, 83/97 DELHI POLICE ACT ALSO INITIATED AGAINST THE VIOLATORS. 3107 BAD CHARACTERS WERE CHECKED FOR OBSERVING THEIR ACTIVITIES.
2. 4274 VIOLATORS PROSECUTED UNDER THE COTPA BESIDES, 122380 CIGARETTES & 323 E-CIGARETTES SEIZED.

The Government’s nationwide campaign and policy of “Zero Tolerance” against drugs is being earnestly implemented by Delhi Police under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, Shri Satish Golchha. In pursuit of the vision of “???????? ????”, Delhi Police has been relentlessly cracking down on drug trafficking through sustained operations and awareness campaigns across all Districts and Units.

To curb the drug menace and dismantle trafficking networks, Delhi Police has adopted a multi-pronged strategy—targeting traffickers, suppliers, and organized cartels operating in the city. A special initiative, “Operation Kavach”, has been launched as a unique, periodical, and focused enforcement drive. Through this operation, intensive and coordinated actions are carried out at regular intervals, ensuring a sustained offensive against drug mafias and safeguarding society from the scourge of narcotics.

During the current year (till 15.09.2025), Delhi Police has arrested 2163 Narco-offenders in 1674 NDPS cases and recovered about 55.786 kgs of heroin/smack, 4559.804 of Ganja, 261.768 kgs of Opium, 34.721 kgs. of Charas, 22.203 kgs poppy head, 4.397 kgs cocaine etc.                

?OPERATION KAVACH

To tackle the menace on all fronts, a joint and sweeping operation (OPERATION KAVACH) was started all over Delhi in the month of May, 2023 to focus on identifying and apprehending individuals, involved in the trafficking and distribution of narcotics. During this operation, it was decided to target both street-level peddlers and high-level traffickers/smugglers and to have both Top to Bottom and Bottom to Top approach, to effectively counter drug trafficking by unearthing all forward/backward linkages. Till now, total 09 operations under ‘Kavach’ had been conducted and during these operations, significant quantity of drugs was seized with the arrest of many drug offenders.

OPERATION KAVACH 10.O

A ruthless zero tolerance approach against drugs and drug traffickers is being adopted by Delhi Police. Keeping in view the coming festive season, taking forward this drive, as per direction of Shri Satish Golchha, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, action for coordinated raids on narco-offenders & organised criminals was planned. 1140 police teams from all Police Stations of 15 Districts, including the Crime Branch & Special Cell were constituted to carry out the operations. Information was developed through human intelligence as well as technical analysis. These teams chose potential targets to perform simultaneous raids. After sincere and painstaking efforts, these simultaneous operations were effectively executed all across Delhi.

During these coordinated raids spread over 24 hrs, (started at 18:00 hrs on 20.09.2025 from and lasted till 18:00 hrs of 21.09.2025), various teams of Delhi Police took stringent action against narco-criminals under "Zero Tolerance Policy" and for the implementation of “Operation Kavach-10.O”.

Raids were conducted at 2003 locations in all 15 Districts of Delhi & action taken is as follows:-

Furthermore, 1507 persons were arrested under 40 A & B, Delhi Excise Act for drinking at Public Places. 2339 vehicles were also seized u/s 66 DP Act.

PREVENTIVE ACTION:-

Additionally, 717 persons were arrested u/s 126/170 BNSS to prevent the individual for commission of offences.

6321 individuals were taken into preventive custody, 20854 persons were detained under 65 DP Act.

Action u/s 128, 129, 126/169 BNSS & u/s 28/112, 83/97 Delhi Police Act also initiated against the violators. 3107 Bad Characters were also checked for their presence.

ACTION UNDER COTPA ACT:

Further 4274 Violators prosecuted under the COTPA, besides, 15 persons were arrested in 09 cases with the recovery of 1, 22,380 Cigarettes & 323 E- Cigarettes.

GROUND LEVEL IMPACT

The purpose of this drive was to take targeted action on the supply side (drug smugglers). This joint operation is a significant step in efforts of Delhi Police to combat the drug trade and save our youth. ‘Operation Kavach’ have unsettled the peddlers dealing in drugs and bootleggers and caused a terror in their minds of surprise raids, resulting in significant drop in supply of drugs. As per ground level inputs, it has been revealed that most of the big drug traffickers have become underground, because of the strict police action. Besides, now, major players are avoiding bringing commercial quantity in Delhi. It is learnt that they have made storehouses outside the city. Busting of a Nigerian racket with large quantity of contraband by Noida Police is a case in point. Ganja was earlier used to be mainly brought in large quantity through trucks. Now, they are shifting to sending in smaller quantities through Cars, LMVs, and Trains. Moreover, they have also started using women and children, to camouflage as if a family is travelling, to avoid detection by police, while on route.

MAJOR SEIZURES/ARRESTS

OPERATIONS :

1. On 20.09.25, two separate cases under the NDPS Act were registered in Dwarka District. In the first case, FIR No. 607/25, PS Dabri, SI Deepak Sharma received secret information regarding a woman carrying ganja. Acting on this input, a raiding party was constituted and positioned at JJ Colony, Bindapur. At about 6.45 PM, one woman later identified as Sangeeta Devi, w/o Vikash Singh, aged 39 years, R/o JJ Colony, Uttam Nagar was seen carrying a white plastic katta on her head and a blue bag on her shoulder. On search conducted by a woman constable, 8.134 Kg ganja and cash amounting to ? 21,08,400/- were recovered from her possession. She was arrested on the spot and the further investigation is in progress.

2. In the second case, FIR No. 382/25, PS Uttam Nagar, SI Dinesh Kumar of ANC Dwarka received information that a woman named Barkha was selling drugs at H.No. 26/27, Gali No. 1, Om Vihar Phase-1, Uttam Nagar. A raid was conducted at about 2.50 PM, during which Barkha, w/o Love Kumar, r/o the same address was apprehended. On her search, 27 gm heroin was recovered. She too was arrested and further investigation is in progress.

3. On 21.09.2025, the staff of PS Ambedkar Nagar, South District, apprehended one drug peddler during a special drive against narcotics. The accused, Vinod s/o Subramanyam, r/o H-1st 226, Madangir, Delhi (48 years), was caught near H-1st Jhuggi, while carrying a blue bag. On search, 2.773 Kg of ganja was recovered from his possession. A case vide FIR No. 429/25 U/s 20 NDPS Act was registered, and the accused was arrested. During interrogation, Vinod disclosed that he used to procure ganja from one Deepak of Jal Vihar. Further investigation is under progress.

4. A team of Anti-Extortion & Kidnapping Cell (AEKC), Crime Branch, led by Inspector Ritesh Kumar, busted a major racket of illegal cigarettes being supplied without the statutory pictorial health warnings mandated by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. Acting on a tip-off received on 20.09.2025, SI Ravi Rana constituted a raiding team under the supervision of Insp. Ritesh Kumar and overall guidance of ACP Pankaj Arora. The team laid a trap at Naya Bans Paan Mandi, behind Fatehpuri Masjid, Chandni Chowk, North Delhi. Two suspects were apprehended from Shop No. 29A and 29B and upon search, a large consignment of prohibited cigarettes was recovered. From their possession, 5,500 packets containing 1,10,000 cigarette sticks of various brands were seized, valued at approximately ?25 lakh. The seized stock included Mond (500 packets/10,000 sticks), Benson & Hedges (1,000 packets/20,000 sticks), MST Paris International (2,000 packets/40,000 sticks), and State Express 555 Altbertjerry (2,000 packets/40,000 sticks). A case under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 was registered at PS Crime Branch and both accused were arrested.

The arrested persons were identified as Sahid (53), a resident of Ghaziabad engaged in the cigarette trade for 3–4 years, and Md. Shahnawaz Ansari (37) of Dariyaganj, Delhi, who had joined the trade about six months ago. Further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain and other associates involved.

5. On 21.09.2025, under Operation Kavach, a team of Northern Range-II of Crime Branch, led by Insp. Sandeep Tushir under the supervision of ACP Narender Beniwal conducted a raid at DC Chowk Market, PS Prashant Vihar, Rohini, Delhi, and apprehended one accused, Anoop Chaurasiya (32 years),  r/o F-194B, Vijay Vihar, Sector-5, Phase-1, Delhi, who was running a Panwadi shop, from where 10,000 banned Esse Gold brand cigarettes were recovered; accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 262/2025 under Section 7/20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) was registered at PS Crime Branch, further investigation is underway to trace the source of the banned cigarettes.

This Operation ‘Kavach 10.O’ underscores Delhi Police’s commitment for combating narcotics trafficking & organised crime. ‘Operation Kavach’ is primarily intended to save the youth and children from the menace of drugs. Although the focus is to take stringent action on the supply side (drug traffickers/peddlers/smugglers), it is also appealed to all sections of the society to create awareness and reduce the demand of drugs. The parents, family members and teachers, besides the NGOs/social workers, are particularly requested to sensitise the youth about the grave consequences of drug addiction and prevent them from falling prey to this deadly evil.

All Joint CsP & Addl. CsP/ Ranges, Addl. CP, Special Cell, All DCsP Districts, Special Cell, Crime Branch of Delhi Police personally supervised their teams during this operation.

The entire operation was closely supervised and coordinated by Sh. Surender Kumar, Joint  CP/Crime, Sh. Mangesh Kashyap, Addl. CP/Crime and Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, DCP, ANTF, Crime Branch.