E-Paper
Despite lockdown, Punjab sees no halt in heroin smuggling from Pak
BSF seized 38 kg heroin along the border in past one month, taking total recovery this year to 130 kg
Even as both India and Pakistan have enforced countrywide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, smuggling of heroin from the neighbouring country through the Punjab border has been going on unabated.
The Border Security Force (BSF) seized 38 kg heroin during the past one month — from March 23 to April 23— in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur and Abohar sectors.
With this, the total recovery of heroin by the BSF this year has been pegged at 130 kg, which is much higher as compared to the recovery of the drug during the corresponding period in 2019. According to the BSF’s data, the recovery of heroin from January to May 2019 was 85 kg.
On April 23 this year, the BSF had seized 1 kg of heroin near Khemkaran village of Tarn Taran. On April 22, 1 kg heroin and a country-made pistol were recovered near Attari border. On April 21, 4.5 kg heroin was seized in Ajnala. Similarly, 9 kg heroin was seized near Attari border on April 16.
A senior BSF official said Pakistani smugglers continue to push in the drugs into the Indian territory taking advantage of the standing wheat crop along the border. Punjab shares a 553-km border, with a barbed fence, with Pakistan.
A senior official of the special task force (STF) of Punjab Police said, “Due to strictness of police on drug smuggling and the ongoing curfew, the supply chain of drugs has been broken in the state. Due to this, Pakistani smugglers may have been attempting to push in more drugs.”
“Besides, Indian farmers are allowed to visit their fields across the fence during the harvesting season. It becomes easy for Indian smugglers to clear the consignments adopting various concealing methods in the guise of agriculture-related works. We have already prepared a list of suspected people, including some farmers. Our teams have increased vigil in the border villages and no one will be allowed to peddle the drugs,” he said.
