Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In Madhya Pradesh, involvement of women in drug smuggling has seen a sharp decline over the past three years. Police attribute this shift to targeted crackdowns, strategic deployment of female officers and tech-based surveillance.
For years, smugglers lured girls and women into the narcotics trade with promises of quick money or in some cases, through blackmail.
The lack of a strong female police presence allowed many to pass undetected, using luxury vehicles and high-end coaches to smuggle expensive drugs like opium, smack, hashish, and MD.
But now, the game has changed. Over the last decade, police identified multiple female-led drug rackets and cracked down hard. That prompted many women to step away from the illegal trade. Especially in the last three years, the Narcotics Wing adopted a new strategy and ramped up the presence of female officers in operations—leading to a steep drop in female smugglers.
Smuggling syndicates often used educated, modern-looking girls to transport high-value narcotics. They were placed in luxury cars, buses and upper-class train coaches—places where they would attract little suspicion. Their appearance gave them cover, helping smugglers operate under the radar.
The turning point came when the Narcotics Wing introduced advanced surveillance equipment and intensified monitoring. This helped identify routes, patterns, and profiles of the smugglers. As a result, the number of women caught smuggling dropped year after year.The most noticeable drop is seen in 2025, with the total number of women smugglers caught reduced to nearly one-third compared to previous years.
Number of women smugglers decreasing year after year
Reform effort underway
Work was started under a new strategy regarding women smugglers. Its effect is visible. The girls and women who have been caught in drug smuggling will also be counselled and educated to stay away from crime
KP Venkateswara Rao, ADG, Narcotics, PHQ
