Pak drone, 1kg heroin seized in Punjab’s Gurdaspur

The BSF personnel recovered Pakistani drone with a consignment of heroin at a distance of 2 km from the International Border under Border Outpost Kossowal in Gurdaspur

The BSF personnel on Monday recovered an old broken Pakistani drone (Hexacopter) with a consignment of approximately 1kg of heroin at a distance of 2 km from the International Border under Border Outpost Kossowal in Gurdaspur.

The drone recovered by BSF in Gurdaspur.

Sharing the information, the BSF spokesperson said, “Information regarding the drone was given to BSF at about 1 pm on Monday by farmers in the area. After being informed, the BSF jawans launched a search operation in the area”. The BSF said a drone intrusion was detected by its personnel in the Kassowal Border Outpost around 10 pm on December 31 last year.

Several Pakistan drones have been recovered by the BSF so far from the border.

In 2022, the BSF said it has successfully detected and captured 22 drones and seized 316.988kg of heroin, 67 weapons, and 850 rounds of live cartridges, killed two Pakistan intruders and apprehended 23 Pakistan nationals in different incidents in Punjab Frontier.

There has been a threefold increase in drone sighting incidents along the India-Pakistan border, with 311 observations of such Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) till December 23 this year compared to 104 in 2021, mentions data. The drone sighting incidents quadrupled as compared to 2020 when 77 UAVs were observed along the Pakistan border -- a major source being used to smuggle arms, ammunition and drugs from across the border, BSF added.

The drone sightings, which were majorly observed in different areas in Punjab, were within a range of 2-10 km of the International Border.

Out of a total of 492 UAVs or drones observed on the India-Pakistan border with effect from January 1, 2020, to December 23 this year, 311 drones were sighted this year, 104 in 2021 and 77 in 2020, says the data accessed by the ANI.

Out of the total drone sightings, 369 UAVs were observed in Punjab, followed by 75 similar observations in Jammu, 40 in Rajasthan, and eight in Gujarat.

In Punjab, a maximum of 164 drones were observed in Amritsar, 96 in Gurdaspur, 84 in Ferozpur, and 25 in Abohar districts.

With inputs from agencies