Safeguarding Indian territory, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Tuesday revealed that it has successfully shot down or recovered no less than 100 Pakistani drones attempting to smuggle narcotics, arms, and ammunition into India through Punjab alone.
Sharing its achievements in a series of posts on social media, BSF Punjab Frontier said: “Till now, in 2023, BSF Punjab has successfully shot down or recovered 100 Pakistani drones being used by anti-national elements to smuggle narcotics, arms, and ammunition into Indian territory.”
The forces highlighted their multi-faceted approach, describing a ‘three-pronged strategy’ designed to curb the illegal movement of drugs and other contraband into India. This strategy involves not only intercepting and neutralizing the drones but also apprehending smugglers actively facilitating these illicit activities.
“Apart from recovering drones, narcotics, and arms, BSF has also successfully apprehended smugglers who were facilitating smuggling through drones,” the BSF emphasized in its social media posts.
The BSF's three-pronged strategy, as detailed in their statement, aims to curtail drug supply, raise awareness against drug abuse, and empower the youth with skills to redirect their energy towards meaningful employment opportunities.
In a recent incident, the BSF thwarted a smuggling attempt in Amritsar on Monday, seizing 434 grams of heroin. The contraband was wrapped with adhesive tape and dropped by a Pakistani drone that violated Indian airspace. The BSF troops swiftly launched a search operation in the Ranian village, successfully retrieving the illicit substance.
“On 25 December 2023, during morning hours, on specific information of BSF regarding smuggling through drone on the outskirts of village Ranian and Rear Kakkar, District - Amritsar, an Operation was planned,” stated the BSF in a post.
The vigilant BSF personnel, upon hearing a buzzing sound indicative of a suspected flying object, recovered the heroin packet with a ring attached for hanging with the drone.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by security forces in countering cross-border smuggling operations. The BSF remains committed to implementing robust measures to safeguard the nation's borders and protect against the nefarious activities of anti-national elements.