Drug peddlers more dangerous than terrorists, says DGP CV Anand as Telangana aims to become drug-free state by 2029

Drug peddlers will be treated as more dangerous than extremists and terrorists and will be dealt with even more severely under the law, Director General of Police CV Anand said on Monday, adding that the Telangana Police will lead an uncompromising fight against narcotics to make the state drug-free by December 2029.

Addressing a district crime review meeting in Bhadradri Kothagudem, the DGP said that Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam districts hold the key to controlling drug trade in Telangana due to their proximity to Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, making them critical transit routes for marijuana smuggling.

He directed the district police to intensify measures against marijuana cultivation, transportation and illegal trade and to strengthen surveillance at bus stations, railway stations, check posts and other vulnerable places by deploying dog squads and strengthening enforcement.

Expressing concern over increasing drug abuse among the youth, Anand said that Telangana must avoid the situation witnessed in Punjab due to widespread narcotic addiction. He warned that the police will relentlessly pursue drug traffickers, regardless of whether they operate domestically or from abroad.

During the Bhadradri Kothagudem meeting, Superintendent of Police Rohith Raj informed the DGP that the district had registered 27 cases of marijuana till May 2026, resulting in the seizure of 1,275 kg of the banned substance. The SP also said that with the sanctioned strength of 2,296 personnel, the district currently has 1,926 police officers, leaving 365 vacancies. From 2023 to May 2026, the district recorded 5,632 criminal cases, of which 2,686 are in court proceedings and 654 remain under investigation. The district achieved 84.6% clarification of property theft cases.

The DGP has instructed police officers to improve the quality and speed of investigations, file charge-sheets promptly and increase the conviction rate by ensuring that complete case records and digital evidence are uploaded to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems platform.

Appreciating the overall performance of the district police, Anand urged the officers to continue professional policing and work towards making Bhadradri Kothagudem a model district in terms of law enforcement. Senior police officers from EAGLE District and Multi Zone-I attended the meeting.

Published – 07 Jul 2026 0:03 IST