Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday, December 11, said the state government is prepared to take “extreme measures,” including bulldozing houses rented by drug peddlers, as part of its intensified crackdown on narcotics-related offences. He added that over 300 foreign nationals arrested for drug peddling in the state have been deported.
Speaking during the Legislative Council session, Parameshwara said the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards the drug menace. Responding to a question from MLC K Abdul Jabbar, he said a significant number of foreign nationals, “especially from African countries”, had been caught smuggling and peddling drugs. “We are monitoring their movements and have identified the landlords who have rented houses to them. Recently, we have gone to the extent of bulldozing the houses where drug peddlers are on rent,” he said.
Raising concerns about drugs being supplied to minors in Davanagere, Jabbar demanded the transfer of police personnel posted in the region for long durations. “Many of these officers have been working for 15–20 years. Even when raids are planned, information leaks from within the department,” he alleged.
The Home Minister said narcotics manufacturing, smuggling and peddling are rising globally, driven by high profits and extensive interstate and international networks. “Since these networks operate in almost all countries, the drug problem has become universal,” he said.
On the involvement of foreign nationals, Parameshwara said that some offenders “are happy to be caught” as pending court cases allow them to continue overstaying in India. “We are ensuring they are deported, though the process is tedious due to embassy and consulate procedures. So far, we have deported about 300 foreign nationals,” he said.
Parameshwara said 4,168 drug-related cases were registered in 2024, with chargesheets filed in 4,091 of them, while the number rose to 5,747 cases in 2025, with investigations completed in 4,510 cases.