Telangana Director General of Police C.V. Anand on Thursday called upon people to become active partners in the fight against narcotics, saying public cooperation was essential to protect future generations from the growing drug menace.

Addressing the first review meeting of the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) force at its headquarters in Hyderabad, the DGP said curbing drug abuse must become a collective responsibility involving police, educational institutions and society at large.

“I chose to first review the EAGLE force because of the seriousness of the drug problem affecting the society. Supply and consumption of narcotics continues not only in Telangana but across the world. Every individual must cooperate to end drug menace as it is destroying the lives of youth and students,” he said.

He added that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had issued strict directions to eradicate drug supply across the State and stressed the need for a coordinated effort to tackle the issue.

Mr. Anand said his experience while heading airport security in the CISF had given him first-hand insight into the scale of narcotics trafficking and underlined that specialised enforcement units alone could not solve the problem.

The DGP reviewed the performance of the force and directed officials to strengthen enforcement through advanced technology, financial investigations and action against foreign syndicates.

Police data presented during the meeting showed a sharp increase in action against drug-related offences, with case registrations rising from 1,464 in 2023 to 2,734 in 2025, while arrests increased from 3,157 to 5,703 during the same period.

Officials said Telangana’s average of 3.1 arrests per case was significantly above the national average of 1.3, indicating that investigations were extending beyond street-level suppliers to those allegedly orchestrating operations.

Police said 93 foreign nationals from countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Sudan had been deported as part of these operations.

Mr. Anand directed officials to maintain continuous surveillance over social media platforms, the dark web and cryptocurrency transactions, while expanding the use of digital forensics and geo-location tracking.

The DGP also raised concerns over the response of educational institutions to drug-related incidents involving students. He said while nearly 4,500 anti-drug committees had been formed across educational institutions, many were not functioning effectively.

A proposal is now being prepared to establish comprehensive committees in schools and colleges to monitor not only drug abuse but also ragging, cybercrime, women’s safety, child abuse, road safety and traffic violations.

Mr. Anand warned that institutions failing to report drug-related incidents could face action. “Many institutions suppress such issues fearing reputational damage. Reporting these incidents is their fundamental responsibility. If enforcement teams detect illegal activity that has not been reported, action will be taken against the institution as well,” he said.

The DGP said a mandatory “I Will Not Take Drugs” declaration may soon be introduced for students at the time of admission. He added that district police units would be brought into closer coordination with Eagle Force and said he would soon tour districts to guide officers on drug enforcement, cybercrime and traffic management.

The review meeting was attended by Eagle Force Director Sandeep Shandilya, SPs Padmaja, Sitaram and Raghuveer, along with other senior police officials.