‘Sniffer Supercops’ on Guard in Punjab’s Jails! Mann Government Takes a Historic Decision to Uproot Drugs from Prisons!

Chandigarh, October 14, 2025: The Punjab Government has set a new example of good governance to realize the dream of a ‘Drug-Free Punjab’. Taking a strong step against drug trafficking and criminal activities prevalent in jails, a historic decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday, October 13, 2025 – under the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign, approval was given for the deployment of six specially trained sniffer dogs in six major central jails of the state! These Labrador Retriever breed ‘Super Sniffers’ will be procured from the special canine programs of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which can detect the smell of heroin, opium derivatives, local liquor (‘lahan’), mobile phones, drones and other prohibited items, thereby eliminating smuggling from the roots. This will strengthen jail security, increase visitor body-baggage searches and surprise inspections, and break the drug network among prisoners. The drug peddlers will tremble — this is a milestone towards a ‘Drug-Free Punjab’!

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “These sniffer dogs will detect the supply of drugs inside jails under the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign. Each dog is specially trained for this purpose, so that like a ‘force multiplier’, the roots of crime can be cut and the ‘Zero Tolerance for Drugs’ policy can be fully implemented.” Recent jail searches revealed that out of 24 jails in the state, 15 had active drug trafficking networks, and more than 42% of prisoners are lodged under the NDPS Act. With the connivance of jail staff, opiates, heroin derivatives, and local liquor were being smuggled inside through drones, mobile phones, visitors and packages. Now these dogs will be deployed in major jails such as Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Nabha, and Bathinda. A senior official said, “These will bring prisoners onto the path of reform.”

To make the procurement process faster and transparent, a special exemption has been granted under Section 63(1) of the Punjab Transparency in Public Procurement Act, 2019. The base price of each dog is ₹2.5 lakh, but including duty-ready training and equipment, the total comes to ₹15 lakh per dog — a smart investment of ₹90 lakh in total. Additional intensive training will be conducted along with jail staff at the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, where a successful canine program is already running.

This is not the first step – earlier, two sniffer dogs of the Excise Department had exposed several cases of illegal liquor (‘lahan’), and the existing canine units of the Jail Department have rendered ‘commendable service’ in preventing mobile phone smuggling. The new team will supercharge the old units. Under the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign, 25 jail officers have been suspended. Last year, Punjab Police seized over 1,100 kg of heroin (a total of 1,129 kg in 2024) and recorded a 25% reduction in NDPS cases (down to 9,025 cases). With the ongoing jail reform campaign, the goal of a ‘Drug-Free Punjab’ will soon be achieved.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s message – “Strictness against drugs is not just a campaign of the police, but of the entire society. Through ‘War Against Drugs’, Punjab will become drug-free. If jails reform, Punjab will reform. Every youth of Punjab should be free from the web of addiction and fulfill their dreams.” His vision is deeply resonating among the people. On social media, citizens are widely praising this initiative. One user wrote, “Sniffer dogs are the roar of security inside jails! The Bhagwant Mann Government has proved that with good governance, anything is possible.” This is being called a ‘Security Game Changer’.