Lucknow: In one of its biggest anti-drug crackdowns, the Uttar Pradesh Police has destroyed 1.72 lakh kg of narcotic substances worth ₹418 crore under Operation Dahan in 2026 so far, emerging as the country’s top-performing state in narcotics disposal.
Police subsequently confiscated properties worth ₹80.33 crore linked to drug traffickers in 96 cases under the NDPS Act, placing UP second nationally in targeting the financial networks of the narcotics trade. In 2026, UP Police registered 4,197 NDPS cases, recovered 36,088 kg of drugs, and arrested 6,076 alleged traffickers. The state police has so far dismantled 26 drug cartels, while investigations and action against 19 interstate syndicates continue. Since its formation in Aug 2022, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has registered 504 cases, arrested 1,364 traffickers, recovered 45,292 kg of narcotics, and seized drugs valued at approximately ₹554 crore.
Police have also busted five clandestine laboratories allegedly used for manufacturing narcotic substances.