New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police recovered a bottle full of drugs from Rajatal, a village near the International Border in the Amritsar district. This recovery was a result of a search operation launched after receiving specific inputs about drug smuggling via drones, a new modus operandi used by narcotics smugglers in Pakistan. The troops found a Chinese-built drone with a drug-filled bottle of Coca-Cola attached to it. The drone, a DJI Mavic 3 Classic quadcopter, was made in China and has a maximum flight time of 46 minutes with a 15-kilometer HD video transmission capability. The recovered drone was found in a paddy field in Rajatal, and the troops suspect the drug to be heroin weighing approximately 0.54 kilograms. This successful operation foiled another attempt by narcotics smugglers to transport drugs to Punjab via drone.
During the 31st Northern Zonal conference in Amritsar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced an action plan to enhance security on the border. He mentioned that dedicated teams specialized in drone technology and anti-drone measures will be deployed across border states to prevent the smuggling of drugs and weapons from Pakistan to India. “The Modi government is committed to strengthening the security system on the border, and soon an anti-drone system will be deployed,” Mr. Shah assured the chief ministers of the border states. In August, the Centre informed Parliament that Pakistan is utilizing drones to supply weapons and drugs in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating the ongoing threat of terrorism and the use of technology for illegal activities.