Jaipur: A major anti-drug crackdown was under way in Nagaur since Aug 2025, leading to 150 arrests, including 12 alleged ringleaders accused of running a racket that quietly took root in the Marwar region. Police identified the 12 as alleged key operators who procured narcotics and distributed them within Nagaur and other parts of the district, officials said.Superintendent of police Mridul Kachawa said officers met local residents and other stakeholders during outreach efforts, and drug abuse emerged as a growing concern. Traditionally, police in the region focused on liquor smuggling, and narcotics trafficking often went undetected.On Aug 4, police launched Operation Neelkanth to target the supply chain. Since then, 91 cases were registered under the NDPS Act, marking a 200% increase compared with the period from Aug last year to February this year.Kachawa said 150 suspects were arrested in connection with these cases. He described the 12 alleged ringleaders as central to the nexus, claiming they sourced drugs and facilitated distribution across the district.Police seized narcotics worth Rs 8.2 crore during the ongoing anti-drug crackdown in Nagaur, Superintendent of Police Mridul Kachawa said.Of the contraband seized, 3,347 kg of doda post and 15 kg of opium—substances traditionally consumed in the region—were recovered during the operation.Police said what surprised investigators was the seizure of a significant quantity of MD drugs. As much as 1,488 kg was confiscated, indicating that drug networks allegedly brought in chemicals to process banned synthetic substances and distributed them in the region. He said the district police invoked provisions of Section 68F of the NDPS Act, 1985, which empower authorised officers to seize or freeze properties suspected to be illegally acquired through drug trafficking, pending forfeiture proceedings under Chapter VA of the Act.Kachawa said the district police exercised these powers during the ongoing anti-drug crackdown. Using the provision, police seized properties linked to 2 alleged peddlers, Ganesh Ram and Ram Niwas, officials said.
