Hyderabad: Telangana Director General of Police C.V. Anand said transforming Telangana into a drug-free state remained the top priority for the police department.
The DGP selected the drugs issue for his first official review meeting after assuming charge. He reviewed the performance of the Eagle Force Anti-Narcotic Bureau for nearly three hours at its headquarters in Hyderabad on Thursday.
C.V. Anand said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had already issued clear directions on eliminating drugs from the state. He added that the public must participate in the campaign against the menace, which was harming the future of youth.
Drug-free state strategy modelled on Greyhounds
The DGP said Eagle Force should function as an elite action group similar to Greyhounds and SIB, which earlier worked against Naxalite activities in the state.
He recalled observing the seriousness of the drug problem while serving in central services as an airport security in-charge. According to him, merely creating a bureau would not solve the issue.
C.V. Anand stressed that the entire police machinery across Telangana must work in coordination against narcotics. He also said the police needed to wage a simultaneous fight against cybercrime and traffic violations.
The DGP stated that the increase in drug cases over the last three years reflected stronger surveillance and enforcement by Telangana Police.
According to official data, police registered 1,464 drug cases in 2023, while the number increased to 2,734 by 2025. Arrests also rose from 3,157 to 5,703 during the same period.
Drug-free state campaign targets financial networks
The DGP said Telangana recorded an average of 3.1 arrests per drug case, compared to the national average of 1.3 arrests.
According to him, police were not only arresting small peddlers but also targeting major operators behind drug networks.
C.V. Anand said police issued 386 freezing memos under Section 68F of the NDPS Act to target financial assets linked to drug crimes. He added that authorities were continuing the process of attaching illegal properties worth crores of rupees.
Officials informed the DGP that police dismantled Nigerian drug cartels and hawala networks operating in the state. They also identified illegal transportation through courier services using technology-based surveillance.
Police deported 93 foreign nationals in connection with drug-related activities, officials stated during the review meeting.
Drug-free state drive focuses on educational institutions
The DGP warned that authorities would not tolerate negligence by educational institutions regarding drug abuse.
He said institutions should not hide information fearing damage to their reputation. Otherwise, managements would also face action.
C.V. Anand said the existing 4,500 anti-drug committees were not achieving expected results. Therefore, police planned to establish integrated committees to monitor drugs, ragging, cybercrime, women’s safety and traffic rule violations.
The DGP also said authorities were preparing proposals to make students sign declaration forms stating they would not consume drugs while taking admission in schools and colleges.
He appreciated Eagle Force Director Sandeep Shandilya and his team after conviction rates in drug cases increased from 19 per cent to 28 per cent.
C.V. Anand announced that he would soon tour districts personally to provide training and distribute special booklets to officials.