Punjab Police's High-Tech Strategy: GPS Anklets and AI in the War on Drugs

In a bid to curb drug smuggling, Punjab Police announced plans to introduce GPS-enabled anklets for monitoring drug smugglers granted bail. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav highlighted this initiative, drawing inspiration from similar measures in Jammu and Kashmir for tracking individuals accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Yadav emphasized the importance of combining legal measures with compassionate approaches, such as focusing on rehabilitation over criminalization. The police plan to involve local panchayats to monitor and motivate drug users to seek treatment, along with deploying artificial intelligence to track and analyze smuggler activities.

Furthermore, a Rs 500 crore package has been sanctioned for modernizing state prisons, which will include de-addiction centers. These comprehensive measures have resulted in increased drug prices on the street, indicating disrupt in supply chains. The police seek to continue this momentum by preparing new lists of drug suppliers for targeted action.

(With inputs from agencies.)