2 weeks ago
India's Record ₹836 Crore Drug Seizures, 1.83 Lakh Arrests
In India, there are special police teams called drug law enforcement agencies.
Their job is to catch people who make or sell illegal drugs.
In 2025, these teams did more work than ever before.
They took away money, houses, and other things from drug sellers.
All together, these things were worth ₹836 crore, which is a huge amount of money.
They also arrested more than 1.83 lakh people, which is 50% more than the year before.
The police also locked up repeat offenders more often using a special law.
But there was one surprising change: the total weight of drugs actually caught went down.
This happened because police focused on the money behind the drugs, not just the drugs themselves.
The government says this shows their plan is working well.
Drug law enforcement agencies seized or froze assets in a record 1,356 cases in 2025, up from 1,053 in 2024 and 587 in 2023.
The value of seized movable and immovable assets hit a record ₹836 crore in 2025, up from ₹666 crore in 2024 and ₹276 crore in 2023.
A total of 1,83,675 arrests were made in 2025, a 50% spike compared to 1,22,224 arrests in 2024.
Registered drug cases rose to 1,48,063 in 2025 from 96,930 in 2024, while PITNDPS detention orders jumped to 810 from 531 in 2024.
Physical drug seizures declined to 12,40,984 kg in 2025, down from 13,30,600 kg in 2024 and 13,89,725 kg in 2023.
- Who
- Indian drug law enforcement agencies (DLEAs), reporting through central government statistics.
- What
- A record year of enforcement: ₹836 crore in assets seized, 1,83,675 arrests, and 1,48,063 registered drug cases.
- Where
- India, with the report filed from Mumbai.
- When
- 2025
- Why
- An aggressive 'follow-the-money' approach aimed at targeting the economic lifelines of drug cartels and disrupting syndicates.
Key facts
- Assets seized (2025)
- ₹836 crore (record; ₹666 crore in 2024, ₹276 crore in 2023)
- Arrests (2025)
- 1,83,675 (50% up from 1,22,224 in 2024)
- Registered cases (2025)
- 1,48,063 (up from 96,930 in 2024)
- Asset seizure/freeze cases (2025)
- 1,356 (up from 1,053 in 2024)
- PITNDPS detention orders (2025)
- 810 (up from 531 in 2024 and 450 in 2023)
- Physical drug seizures (2025)
- 12,40,984 kg (down from 13,30,600 kg in 2024)
- Key law cited
- Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act








