Drug traffickers will be treated as more dangerous than extremists and terrorists and dealt with even more stringently under the law, Director General of Police C.V. Anand said on Monday, asserting that the Telangana Police would wage an uncompromising battle against narcotics to make the State drug-free by December 2029.
Speaking at the district crime review meeting in Bhadradri Kothagudem, the DGP said Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam districts hold the key to controlling drug trafficking in Telangana because of their proximity to Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, making them critical transit routes for marijuana smuggling.
He directed district police to intensify action against marijuana cultivation, transportation and illegal trade, and strengthen surveillance at bus stations, railway stations, check posts and other vulnerable locations by deploying dog squads and enhancing enforcement.
Expressing concern over increasing drug abuse among youngsters, Anand said Telangana must avoid the situation witnessed in Punjab due to widespread narcotics addiction. He warned that police would pursue drug traffickers relentlessly, irrespective of whether they were operating within the country or from abroad.
During the meeting, Bhadradri Kothagudem Superintendent of Police Rohith Raj informed the DGP that the district had registered 27 marijuana cases up to May 2026, leading to the seizure of 1,275 kg of the banned substance. The SP also said that against a sanctioned strength of 2,296 personnel, the district currently has 1,926 police personnel, leaving 365 vacancies. Between 2023 and May 2026, the district registered 5,632 criminal cases, of which 2,686 are under trial and 654 remain under investigation. The district has achieved an 84.6 per cent detection rate in property theft cases.
The DGP instructed officers to improve the quality and speed of investigations, file charge sheets without delay and enhance conviction rates by ensuring complete case records and digital evidence are uploaded on the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems platform.
Commending the overall performance of the district police, Anand urged officers to continue professional policing and work towards making Bhadradri Kothagudem a model district in law enforcement. The meeting was attended by senior police officers from the district, EAGLE and Multi Zone-I.
Published – July 07, 2026 12:03 am IST
