As security has been strengthened on the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) to foil any infiltration attempt, Pakistan is using drones to smuggle arms, ammunition, and narcotics on this side of the border.
Instead of using the J&K border to smuggle arms, Pakistan-based terrorists are focussing on Punjab to drop arms for terror outfits active in the Union Territory.
According to reports in the past nine months, security forces have observed the entry of 191 Pakistan-controlled drones into Indian territory during the first nine months of this year. Infiltration of drones, originating from Pakistan, is a major concern in terms of internal security in the country.
Interestingly, the illegal entry of Pakistan-controlled drones is frequent in Punjab because terror mentors sitting across the border are using the Punjab border to smuggle arms for the terrorists of Jammu and Kashmir.
Quoting a document recently shared by the Union Government, the news agency reported that out of the 191 drones observed, 171 entered into Indian territory through the India-Pakistan border along the Punjab sector while 20 were seen in the Jammu sector.
It is further mentioned in the report that most of these drones, which originated from Pakistan, managed to flee back while seven have been shot down by the Border Security Forces (BSF) on the IB.
Cross-border drone-based arms smuggling module busted on Saturday
Punjab Police busted a cross-border drone-based arms smuggling module with the arrest of five men during the week on Saturday.
A cache of sophisticated arms and ammunition were also recovered from them. The arrested accused include Surinder Singh of Barwala village in Tarn Taran and brothers Harchand Singh and Gursahib Singh of Valtoha in Amritsar.
The police have recovered Rs 1.01 crore in cash, 500-gram heroin, 17 pistols, 400 live cartridges, an MP-4 rifle and 300 rounds, two weighing machines, and two currency counting machines from them.
Before busting this module, Punjab Police had arrested two persons, including a prisoner identified as Jaskaran Singh and his aide Rattanbir Singh. It also recovered 10 foreign-made pistols from locations pinpointed by them, taking the total recovery of pistols to 27.
"Jaskaran and Rattanbir revealed that their associate Surinder had picked up a consignment of arms/ammunition they had earlier smuggled in from Pakistan with the help of drones", Punjab Police said.
