With New Year rave parties just days away, city police conducted surprise saliva tests on Thursday to check drug consumption, screening 123 people near Pakwan Crossroads and along Sindhu Bhavan Road. All those tested, including several women, were found negative.
The checks were carried out by the Special Operations Group (SOG) between 1.30 pm and 4.30 pm using instant-result saliva testing kits, drawing attention from passers-by. While many residents welcomed the initiative as a preventive step to protect youth from drugs, a few expressed discomfort over the sudden screening.
ACP Baldevsinh Solanki of the SOG said the drive was part of a wider anti-drug crackdown launched on the instructions of senior officers ahead of the New Year. Over the past week, the SOG and City Crime Branch have conducted multiple raids and arrested around 25 drug peddlers and suppliers. The surprise testing, carried out in coordination with the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), was aimed at identifying users and tracing the supply chain.
FSL teams followed strict hygiene protocols during the testing process. Saliva samples were collected using disposable plastic strips and tested with kits capable of detecting substances such as amphetamine, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids, with results available within minutes.
Inspector V H Joshi, who led four teams during the operation, said similar checks will continue at different locations across the city until December 31. Police officials clarified that the objective is not to harass citizens but to dismantle drug networks by tracking both demand and supply, especially during the festive season when the risk of drug circulation rises.