CHANDIGARH, July 4 -- Haryana appears to be intensifying its crackdown on drug trafficking, with the state reporting significant gains in the first half of 2025 through more arrests of peddlers and larger drug seizures compared to the corresponding period last year. Official data reveals a 29% rise in serious drug-related cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between January and June this year. Police registered 1,858 first information reports (FIRs), up from 1,657 during the same period in 2024. Heroin seizures have seen a sharp increase, with 31 kg confiscated so far this year, a 62% jump over last year's figure. In the last six calendar years, Haryana recorded the seizure of 205 kg of heroin with the highest 40.55 kg seized from Sirsa district in six years followed by 22 kg in Fatehabad district. Police officials say there is a growing presence of synthetic and party drugs like MDMA that points to a disturbing trend. For instance, the first six months of 2024 have already seen a dramatic rise in MDMA seizures with 288 grams recovered, a staggering 86% increase over the previous year. This nearly equals the cumulative total of 392 grams seized over the six-year span from January 2019 to December 2024. As per the data, in the last six months, police registered 16 FIRs and arrested 22 individuals in MDMA seizure cases. Notably, 15 of these cases emerged from Gurugram district and the arrested accused comprise both foreign national and residents of Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Data shows that cocaine seizures saw many fold rise as police seized 179 grams of cocaine in the last six months. The traditional drugs like ganja and opium mixtures saw a drop and small quantity cases also declined by 57%. As per official data, in 2025 so far, Haryana registered 233 commercial quantity cases against 166 last year, showing a nearly 29% jump. Also what stands out this year is the state's focus on large-scale cases involving larger amounts of drugs, often linked to organised networks. "Our focus has been on dismantling entire smuggling networks instead of just catching small-time peddlers," said OP Singh, director general of police (DGP) and chief of the Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau (HSNCB). Another highlight of police action against drugs is the arrests of suspects from outside the state which rose by 34.5%. As many as 246 inter-state accused involved in drug trafficking were arrested in the past six months in comparison to 161 during this period last year. In an indication that police are not just going after individuals, there were 850 cases in six months involving two or more arrests in a single case- up from 471 in 2024. As many as 3,051 people were arrested in the first half of this year which is 28% more than last year. Police sources say the strategy now is to track both the street-level suppliers and the big players behind the scenes, including financiers by using tougher legal tools to clamp down on repeat offenders. This year, 39 people were detained under the PIT-NDPS Act - up from just 8 last year - that allows preventive detention of up to one year without trial. Police sources say that they have also started going after the assets linked to drug trade profits. So far, property worth Rs 87 lakh have been seized, compared to Rs 23.40 lakh in 2024. "The first half of 2025 signals a shift in Haryana's overall strategy. The focus now is on prevention and disruption, not just reaction," says OP Singh, HSNCB chief. "The state is moving towards a long-term plan to break the supply chains, seize the money, and go after the big players. It is a tougher road, but Haryana seems ready as war on drugs is escalating and entering a new phase."...