Operation GARUDA – Preventing Opioid &amp Pharmaceutical Drug Abuse

Operation GARUDA was launched to counter the diversion and misuse of prescription and habit-forming pharmaceutical drugs, recognising its growing public health impact. 

Statewide Enforcement Action (21st March 2025) 

• 156 non-compliant medical shops identified across 26 districts
• Inspections conducted jointly by EAGLE, Police, Drug Control Administration and Vigilance & Enforcement 

Common Violations Detected 

• Sale of prescription drugs without valid prescriptions
• Unauthorised storage and stocking
• Tampering with batch numbers and expiry details 

Post-Operation Measures 

• State-level stakeholder meeting with medical associations (April 2025)
• Statewide workshop conducted in July 2025 as a pre-emptive strategy for Operation GARUDA 2.0 

Operation GARUDA evolved beyond enforcement into a regulatory-preventive model, integrating education, compliance and deterrence.