CHANDIGARH, April 5 -- Even as the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab claimed to have ramped up its campaign against the drug menace plaguing the border state, the fight is proving to be complex.

Mann, who has completed three years in office, claimed on many occasions to make Punjab free from drugs, one of the key promises AAP made during the 2022 elections.

Since taking office, the Bhagwant Mann government has taken several initiatives to fulfil its promise of eradicating drugs, branding its efforts as the "Yudh Nashian Virudh" (War Against Drugs).

One of the most significant steps came in August 2024, when Mann inaugurated the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), replacing the earlier Special Task Force (STF). ...