Police in the Indian state of Punjab located a modern “hexacopter” drone carrying around five kilograms of heroin in a field near the fences at the Pakistan border.
The director general of police said in a statement that the “joint operation” in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district was carried out with the Border Security Force (BSF).
The incident is the latest in a series of illegal drones tracked down by Indian security agencies in border regions adjoining Pakistan, namely Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. In most cases, the drones have been found to be carrying narcotics, arms and/or cash.
The BSF said on Friday that it has shot down 17 drones in areas along the Pakistan border this year, mostly in Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab. The number of infiltration drones has increased but we have also taken measures, accordingly, including anti-drone systems, patrolling and incentives to our soldiers," BSF Director General Pankaj Singh said.
Earlier this week, the BSF and Punjab Police foiled another infiltration attempt by a drone while it was crossing over into Punjab’s Amritsar from Pakistan. The drone was carrying 13 kilograms of heroin, police said.
In a follow-up operation in Ferozepur, police arrested a person who was supposed to receive a narcotics delivery this week. They said that authorities recovered five AK-47 rifles and five pistols from the man accused.
Another hexacopter drone was shot down last week by border guards as the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was trying to enter Amritsar from the Pakistani side.
Similarly, Indian border guards have gunned down several drones crossing illegally into the Jammu and Kashmir union territory from Pakistan in recent weeks.
Likewise, Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered a consignment of improvised explosive devices, arms and cash dropped by a drone in the Samba district located at the international border of India and Pakistan this week.