How J&K Police singled out terrorist assigned to pick up arms dropped by PAK drones [Explained]

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday arrested a terrorist, who was staying at Jammu to pick up arms and ammunition dropped on this side of the border by Pakistani drones earlier this month. The terrorist was arrested from South Kashmir's Anantnag district by Jammu Police in connection with the dropping of arms on October 3 in the outskirts of Jammu city.

"One terrorist Irfan Ahmad Bhat son of Farooq Ahmad Bhat resident of Verinag Anantnag was arrested in connection with dropping of arms by drones," Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Mukesh Singh said.

"Bhat has confessed that he is in touch with handlers across and is associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). He had come here to receive the consignment which already stands seized by Police including AK series rifle, three magazines, 30 rounds, and one optical sight," the ADGP said.

How LeT terrorist was arrested?

Sources in the police said that after recovery of a consignment of arms and ammunition dropped by Pakistan in the Tawi Island belt of Jammu, a special team of cops was constituted to identify all mobile numbers active in the area at that time and call details of all such numbers.

While scrutinizing all mobile numbers active in the Tawi Island belt, Irfan's number of singled out by the team for the surveillance.

"During surveillance, it was established that after cops seized arms dropped by Pakistan, Irfan returned to his native place at Anantnag empty but he was in a constant touch with handlers across the border", a source said, adding, "it was only after getting all scientific proofs cops arrested Irfan from Anantnag".

Irfan was in Jammu to pick up arms dropped on October 3 morning

On the directions of Pakistan handlers, Irfan was camping in a locality of the Tawi Island belt to pick up the arms at an appropriate time. Although drones controlled from Pakistan had successfully dropped arms in Alora Mandal village of Sohanjan, situated on Tawi Island, alert villagers immediately informed the police after spotting a flying object in their area.

Within no time, the police team rushed to the spot and recovered one AK-47 assault rifle, three AK magazines, 30 AK rounds, and a telescopic sight. The consignment, wrapped in yellow-colored polythene, was tied with a nylon rope.

First-time cops arrested a terrorist in drone dropping case

Following the strengthening of security on the border, Pakistan has started dropping arms through drones for the last year. It is the first time that a terrorist is arrested who was assigned the job to pick up the arms.

Earlier the Border Security Force (BSF) and J&K Police have recovered arms dropped through drones. After the latest incident of arm dropping on October 3, the J&K police has started scientific prove by collecting details of mobiles active in that area.

• With the help of alert villagers, J&K police recovered arms and ammunition dropped by Pakistani drones on October 3 in Tawi Island are
• On August 23, a drone was spotted near the IB in the Arnia sector prompting BSF jawans to open fire at it.
• Jammu and Kashmir Police on July 24 claimed it shot down a Pakistani drone carrying five kg IED in the Kanachak area of Akhnoor sector in Jammu district.
• The June 27 attack on the air force station was the first such instance of Pakistan-based terrorists deploying unmanned aerial vehicles to strike at vital installations in India. The National Investigation Agency is investigating the case.
• Jammu & Kashmir Police DGP Dilbag Singh said the drones come from across the border. Over 360 drones have been sighted along the border with Pakistan since 2019.