Moga’s Daulewala Village Faces Bulldozer Action in Crackdown on Drug Trade

• Apr 28, 2025

Once notorious for illicit liquor smuggling, Daulewala village in Punjab’s Moga district has, over the past three decades, gained a grim reputation as a drug trafficking hub. Despite repeated arrests, many residents have continued their involvement in smuggling activities, including poppy husk, heroin, and synthetic drugs, according to police officials.

Home to around 3,300 people and spread across 581 hectares, Daulewala has seen over 450 residents—including 70 women—arrested for drug and liquor smuggling over the years.

In a renewed push under the state government's anti-drug campaign, Moga police have launched a "bulldozer action" targeting the illegal assets of drug smugglers. On Saturday, police and local administration teams demolished unauthorized structures belonging to four accused individuals. Authorities have identified "ill-gotten" properties of 42 known drug traffickers from the village, with assets worth over ₹17.14 crore already attached.

Currently, about 20 villagers—including eight women—are serving sentences in Moga and Faridkot jails, while more than two dozen are undertrial and lodged in various other facilities.

Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Gandhi said that Daulewala had become a sanctuary for drug smugglers, but that era was coming to an end.
“Either they must abandon the illegal trade immediately, or they will see their illegal properties demolished,” Gandhi warned, adding that Punjab’s youth had suffered enough from rampant drug trafficking.

“Saving them from the clutches of drugs is not merely a government mission—it’s a battle for Punjab’s future,” he emphasized.

Moga Superintendent of Police (D) Balkrishan Singla said the crackdown would continue relentlessly until the drug menace was completely eradicated from Daulewala and nearby areas.

Meanwhile, the district police and administration are also intensifying rehabilitation efforts. More than a dozen residents from Daulewala have been admitted to a state-run de-addiction center at Janer village in Moga, an official said. Another official noted that dismantling both the supply network and supporting addicts through rehabilitation was crucial for achieving lasting change.