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Drone-based smuggling module: US-made recovered drone was being operated by Pak smugglers
The USA-made sophisticated drone, which was recovered by the Amritsar-rural police with the busting of a high-profile trans-border drug smuggling module, was being operated by Pakistani smugglers for the smuggling of heroin, said officials privy to the investigation.
The USA-made sophisticated drone, which was recovered by the Amritsar-rural police with the busting of a high-profile trans-border drug smuggling module, was being operated by Pakistani smugglers for the smuggling of heroin, said officials privy to the investigation.
A team of Amritsar-rural police had arrested Dilbagh Singh and Jagdish Singh of Dhanoia Khurd, which is situated along the international border, with the recovery of 10 kg of heroin and a USA-made drone, on Sunday. The accused, according to police, had been involved in the cross-border smuggling racket for the last three years. Police had also said that the accused, who had been evading their detection by adopting alternative modus operandi, had been smuggling the Pakistani heroin to various states of India.
The recovered drone is a DJI series drone, worth ₹ 20 lakhs, having hi-tech features including long-lasting battery back up and infrared-based night vision camera.
“We had a tip-off that the accused had gone near the border to collect a consignment of heroin. They were arrested during a barricading when they were travelling in a Maruti Suzuki Brezza car. 10 kg heroin and the drone were seized from their car,” said one of the investigating official.
He said, “Our preliminary investigation has found that the drone was being operated by Pakistani smugglers. On the day of the accused’s arrest, the drone had successfully made three sorties—each carrying 2.5 kg heroin. When the fourth sortie for the smuggling of 2.5 kg more heroin was made, the drone could not fly back to Pakistan, for its battery ran out of power. The accused were told by their Pakistani counterparts that they should keep the drone secure until a further arrangement is made to make its return.”
Another police official, who didn’t wish to be named, said both the arrested accused are brothers and own around 12 acres of farmland in the village. “The arrested accused have constructed luxury houses in the village. We will also investigate their property’s detail. The duo accused had told us that they had been in contact with a Pakistani smuggler named Meeta through social media platforms,” he said. He further said, “The duo accused had been sending the proceeds of the heroin back to their Pakistani counterparts via Hawala and other means of transfer.” Senior superintendent of police (SSP-rural) Swapan Sharma said their investigation into the case was still on and they were hopeful of more recoveries in the coming days. Meanwhile, the duo accused were presented before a local court on Monday, which had sent them to four-day police remand.
