The fight against drugs is rarely won through arrests alone. Behind every seizure of heroin or marijuana lies a larger battle involving vulnerable youth, fractured families, organised criminal networks, and communities struggling to protect their future.
In Haryana’s Ambala Range, police officers had been witnessing a troubling rise in complaints related to drug abuse and trafficking. While awareness campaigns and counselling initiatives were helping some individuals, authorities realised that a more comprehensive strategy was needed to tackle the growing menace.
That realisation led to the launch of Mission Maidan-II, a month-long intensive anti-drug campaign that began on May 28, 2026, across Ambala, Panchkula, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar districts. The initiative, spearheaded by Haryana Police, seeks not only to dismantle drug networks but also to rehabilitate addicts and mobilise communities in the fight against narcotics.
Speaking to Indian Masterminds, Pankaj Nain, Inspector General of Police, Ambala Range, a 2007-batch Haryana cadre IPS officer, explained the thinking behind the campaign.
“Initially, we felt that awareness and motivation would help people come out of addiction. But we soon realised that motivation alone would not be enough. We also needed strict action against peddlers and those involved in the drug trade,“ he said.
WHY MISSION MAIDAN WAS LAUNCHED
The campaign was born out of growing concerns over drug abuse in several vulnerable pockets of the region. Police intelligence and community feedback pointed towards the emergence of drug hotspots where narcotics were being sold and consumed with increasing frequency.
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Instead of viewing the issue purely as a law-and-order challenge, Haryana Police designed Mission Maidan as a multi-dimensional initiative targeting both the supply and demand sides of the drug problem.
The objective is simple but ambitious: identify traffickers, dismantle supply chains, rehabilitate addicts, involve communities, and create a sustainable framework for a drug-free society.
IDENTIFYING HOTSPOTS AND INCREASING POLICE PRESENCE
A major component of the campaign involves identifying areas that have become hubs for drug-related activities.
Once these hotspots are mapped, police teams conduct regular door-to-door checks and surprise inspections. To prevent suspects from escaping during raids, entire localities are sealed through pre-planned barricading operations.
Police visibility has also been significantly increased. CCTV cameras are being installed and monitored continuously in identified hotspots, while permanent checkpoints are being reassessed and shifted to vulnerable locations wherever necessary.
In Panchkula and other districts, authorities have also introduced innovative methods such as deploying decoy customers to identify drug peddlers operating covertly. Suspected offenders are placed under one-to-one monitoring to track their activities and gather intelligence before action is initiated.
TECHNOLOGY AS A FORCE MULTIPLIER
Mission Maidan relies heavily on technology to strengthen enforcement efforts.
Drone surveillance is being used to monitor parks and other vulnerable public spaces where drug consumption or illegal transactions are suspected. The use of drones not only helps gather evidence but also creates a deterrent effect among offenders.
Police teams are simultaneously monitoring CCTV networks and using intelligence-based operations to identify trafficking routes and criminal networks.
The campaign’s focus on surveillance reflects a broader shift towards proactive policing rather than reactive enforcement.
BRINGING CHEMISTS INTO THE CAMPAIGN
Recognising the role that prescription drug abuse often plays in addiction, Haryana Police has brought chemists into the anti-drug effort.
Meetings have been conducted with pharmacy owners across districts, including a recent interaction led by Ambala Superintendent of Police Ajit Shekhawat.
Chemists have been instructed to strictly verify prescriptions before selling Schedule-H drugs and ensure that prescriptions are properly stamped so that the same prescription cannot be used repeatedly at multiple stores.
Police have also directed chemists not to sell syringes or controlled medicines without proper authorisation and to maintain detailed records of suspicious purchases.
TRACKING REPEAT OFFENDERS
One of the most significant aspects of Mission Maidan is its focus on individuals who have previously been involved in drug-related crimes.
Police teams are revisiting records of offenders arrested under the NDPS Act over the last five years. Across the four districts, nearly 2,000 individuals have been identified for verification and monitoring.
Officials are conducting door-to-door checks to determine whether these individuals have returned to criminal activities or successfully reintegrated into society.
Drug traffickers currently out on parole are also being subjected to enhanced scrutiny. Their activities, communications and movements are being closely monitored to prevent reoffending.
REHABILITATION AT THE HEART OF THE INITIATIVE
While enforcement is a major pillar of Mission Maidan, rehabilitation remains equally important.
Police teams, along with gram panchayats, NGOs and local communities, are identifying individuals suffering from severe addiction and facilitating their admission to de-addiction centres.
Recovered addicts are being encouraged to become community ambassadors, sharing their personal experiences and motivating others to seek treatment.
The campaign also promotes the use of national helplines, including the Narcotics Control Bureau’s support mechanisms, enabling citizens to share information related to drug abuse and trafficking.
“Drug addiction cannot be eliminated through arrests alone. We have to break supply chains, identify vulnerable individuals, involve communities and ensure rehabilitation. Mission Maidan has been designed to address every aspect of the problem,“ IG Nain told Indian Masterminds.
EARLY RESULTS SHOW PROMISE
The campaign has already begun yielding visible results.
In Ambala alone, police arrested three drug traffickers, including a woman, within a span of 24 hours under Mission Maidan. Authorities recovered 25.65 grams of heroin and 1.149 kilograms of marijuana in three separate operations.
In one case, a woman was arrested from Ambala City with 18 grams of heroin. Another operation led to the arrest of an accused carrying 7.65 grams of heroin, while a third accused was caught with more than one kilogram of marijuana.
Investigators are now working to identify larger supply chains and networks linked to these seizures.
At the same time, action is being initiated against properties and assets allegedly acquired through narcotics trafficking, striking at the financial foundations of organised drug crime.
A MODEL FOR COMMUNITY-CENTRIC POLICING
What distinguishes Mission Maidan from conventional anti-drug drives is its integrated approach. The initiative combines intelligence gathering, surveillance technology, community participation, financial investigations, strict law enforcement and rehabilitation into a single coordinated framework.
By targeting both traffickers and addiction simultaneously, Haryana Police is attempting to address the root causes of the drug menace rather than merely its symptoms.
As the campaign progresses across Ambala Division, Mission Maidan is emerging as a model of community-centric policing—one that recognises that the fight against drugs cannot be won by police alone but requires the active participation of families, local institutions, healthcare providers and citizens.
For thousands of young people vulnerable to addiction, that collective effort may prove to be the most powerful intervention of all.
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