The Ludhiana Police Commissionerate on Friday released its year-end performance data for 2025, highlighting enforcement action across drugs, illegal liquor, arms, fugitives and traffic violations, while also pointing to continuing challenges on the ground.
Sharing the details, commissioner of police Swapan Sharma said between January 1 and December 23, the police registered 1,177 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested 1,530 accused. The recoveries included over 535kg of poppy husk, 32.6kg of heroin, nearly 59kg of ganja, more than 25kg of opium, along with charas, cocaine, ICE, intoxicant powder, poppy plants and over 32,000 intoxicant tablets and capsules.
The police also reported a conviction rate of 92.7% under the NDPS Act. Legal experts noted that conviction figures often reflect cases concluded during the year and may not correspond directly to fresh arrests, suggesting that supply chains remain largely intact.
Under the Excise Act, the police registered 274 cases and arrested 319 accused, seizing over 18,000 litres of liquor and 50 litres of ‘lahan’ (raw materials for liquor). Despite these actions, illegal hooch continues to appear in various city areas.
In action against illegal arms, 32 cases were registered, resulting in 58 arrests. Recoveries included 93 pistols and revolvers, three guns, over 300 cartridges and three grenades, indicating ongoing accessibility of weapons in and around the city.
The police also focused on fugitives and pending investigations, arresting 381 proclaimed offenders and addressing 3,824 pending untraced investigation (UI) cases, resulting in the disposal of 5,865 cases.
Officials said the measures helped clear backlogs, though critics emphasised the need to maintain investigation quality to prevent new cases from entering the UI category.
Traffic enforcement remained active, with nearly 2.92 lakh challans issued. Commuters, however, report congestion, rash driving and poor compliance, showing that challans alone have not fully addressed road safety concerns.
The year also saw violent incidents, including a gang-related clash at a wedding in November in which two guests were killed. Police said key accused in the case are still at large, highlighting ongoing challenges in controlling criminal activity.
Ludhiana police chief Swapan Sharma said enforcement would continue to strengthen law and order and public safety.