Chandigarh, June 1 -- As the deadline set by the Punjab government to eliminate the availability of drugs by May 31 came to an end, director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav claimed significant success in the ongoing anti-drug campaign, 'Yudh Nashian Virudh'. However, Yadav stopped short of declaring Punjab a "drug-free" state, acknowledging that while substantial progress has been made, the challenge remains.

Addressing the media on Saturday, Yadav emphasised that the campaign, which has been active since March, has succeeded in reducing the availability of narcotics in the state through a combination of strict enforcement, intelligence gathering and public cooperation.

"Our assessment indicates that the campaign has not only been ...