Chandigarh: Under the Punjab government’s intensified anti-crime campaign “Gangstran Te Vaar”, the Anti-Gangster Helpline 93946-93946 has emerged as a major public intelligence tool, receiving 590 actionable inputs since its launch on January 21, 2026.
Sharing details of the initiative, Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said the strong public response has directly contributed to the registration of 63 FIRs and the arrest of 26 individuals, including 21 preventive detentions.
The helpline was launched as part of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s broader vision to make Punjab gangster-free by strengthening direct public participation in policing.
Public Inputs Cover Drugs, Extortion, Gangsters and Illegal Weapons
According to the Anti-Gangster Task Force, the 590 inputs received so far cover a wide range of criminal concerns.
Of these, 83 complaints related to drugs, 35 involved extortion, 43 concerned gangsters, and 86 dealt with illegal weapons. Another 74 complaints were linked to personal enmity, 13 related to robbery or theft, 11 involved proclaimed offenders or absconders, while two inputs concerned immigration fraud. Ninety-seven complaints were categorised under miscellaneous suspicious activities.
Officials said several of these inputs directly helped police identify criminal movement and prevent serious offences.
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DIG Urges Citizens to Act as ‘Eyes and Ears’ of Police
DIG Gurmeet Singh Chauhan appealed to citizens to continue using the helpline actively and assured complete confidentiality for all informants.
He said the number is not limited to extortion complaints and can be used to report any suspicious gangster activity, criminal movement, or anti-social behaviour anonymously.
Police officials stressed that community intelligence has become a critical part of Punjab’s anti-gangster strategy, particularly in areas where local cooperation helps identify hidden criminal networks.
Warning Against UPI Transactions and Unidentified Packages
The DIG also issued a public warning against criminal networks operating from abroad that are using local youth for illegal activities.
He said anti-social elements sitting outside India often lure young people by offering small sums of money in exchange for facilitating digital payments or transporting packages.
Citizens have been strictly advised not to make UPI transactions for unknown persons and not to pick up or drop unidentified parcels.
According to police, foreign-based criminal handlers are increasingly using “dead letter box” methods, where weapons or illegal consignments are hidden at pre-decided locations for local pickup.
643 Social Media Pages Glorifying Weapons Blocked
Punjab Police has also intensified digital surveillance under the anti-gangster campaign.
DIG Chauhan revealed that 643 social media pages across different platforms have already been blocked for glorifying weapons, gang culture, or criminal activities.
He urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity, warning that social media content is increasingly being used to attract young minds toward criminal culture.
Police said a special digital monitoring campaign is now being expanded to identify more such accounts and prevent online glorification of violence.
61 Foreign-Based Gangsters Identified, Extradition Cell Activated
Punjab Police has identified 61 gangsters currently operating from abroad who continue to influence criminal activity within the state.
To speed up legal action against them, an Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell has been established.
The specialised cell is tasked with tracking overseas fugitives and facilitating their extradition back to India.
Officials believe this mechanism will help dismantle foreign-controlled gangster networks that continue to fund extortion, arms supply and organised violence.
Punjab Police Crackdown Since 2022: 2,868 Gangsters Arrested
Highlighting broader achievements of the Anti-Gangster Task Force, DIG Chauhan said Punjab Police has busted 1,111 gangster and criminal modules since April 2022.
During this period, 2,868 gangsters and criminals have been arrested across the state.
Police have also recovered 2,273 weapons and seized 656 vehicles used in criminal activities.
The Anti-Gangster Task Force was constituted by the Punjab government under the leadership of Promod Ban to systematically dismantle gangster culture and organised criminal syndicates in the state.
Helpline Continues as Anonymous Crime Reporting Channel
The Anti-Gangster Helpline 93946-93946 remains operational round the clock for citizens to anonymously share intelligence about wanted criminals, extortion threats, suspicious movement or anti-social activities.
Punjab Police officials said every credible lead is being verified quickly and integrated into ongoing investigations.
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