The Ambala Police, in coordination with the Municipal Corporation, on Wednesday sealed 12 residential properties in Ambala City as part of an intensified crackdown on the illegal drug trade.

The joint operation was carried out in Deha Colony under the jurisdiction of the Ambala City police station. According to the police, the action forms part of an ongoing campaign to dismantle drug trafficking networks and target properties allegedly acquired or used through proceeds of the illegal trade.

The occupants of the identified houses had earlier been served notices to vacate the premises, but failed to comply. To ensure the operation was carried out peacefully, the administration deployed adequate police personnel and appointed a duty magistrate.

Police said criminal cases have been registered against almost all the property owners, with most facing charges under the NDPS Act. Vicky, alias Gattu, a resident of the colony, alone has 42 criminal cases registered against him, mainly under the NDPS Act and for theft. Several women from the locality are also facing NDPS cases, while one woman has already spent around eight months in jail after action was initiated against her under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act.