From drugs to weapons to cash, security agencies have noted the increasing use of drones as “carriers” from across the border. Since 2019, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police have recovered 82 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and reported 593 drone sightings along the India-Pakistan border, The Indian Express has learnt.
A security establishment official said drone payload recoveries in the past year included “317 kg heroin, 10 kg RDX, 10 IEDs, 512 firearms, 56 hand grenades, 12 AK-47 rifles, 128 pistols and Rs 18 lakh in cash”.
According to an official of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), drone sightings in the past few years were mainly reported within 2-10 km of the International Border in Punjab, a 553-km stretch which includes 35 km of riverine area.
“The BSF has so far examined 62 drones, 14 (were examined) by Punjab Police and one by the Delhi Police,” the official said.
According to sources, Pakistani smugglers are suspected to be using UAVs to finance and supply weapons to pro-Khalistan entities (PKEs) on the Indian side, who are reciprocating by offering help in establishing “cross-border linkages” and supporting Pakistan Intelligence operatives.
The MHA official said there is sufficient evidence to show this nexus. “Pakistan’s ISI supports this narco-terrorism network and they are using drug smugglers as a weapons supplier. The narco smugglers are helping PKEs through weapons smuggling and financing, while PKEs are helping them with cross-border linkage and support for Pakistan Intelligence operatives (PIOs),” the official said.
In a rare admission in July, Malik Mohd Ahmad Khan, the Special Assistant on Defence to then Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had said in an interview that Pakistani smugglers were increasingly using drones to send drugs to India.
While the BSF is now using counter drone technology along the border, the Punjab Police has constituted a special task force to probe drug-related cases.
“So far, the Punjab Police has arrested 30 people and registered 27 FIRs in connection with drugs and weapon-related matters. Thirteen FIRs have been registered against Pakistani nationals in narco-terror cases, and 16 people have been arrested,” an official said.
According to the MHA’s annual report-2023 released last month, 10 states and three Central Armed Police Forces have attended the “drone and anti-drone” training at the NSG centre in Manesar.
(With inputs from agencies)