E-Paper
Pak smugglers switch to smaller, stealthier drones to drop drugs into Punjab
Reason: Such drones can fly long distances and make comparatively less noise, thus making it harder for security agencies to detect these as compared to the large-sized drones.
Pakistan-based narcotic smugglers have switched to small drones to drop payloads of drugs into the Indian territory in Punjab, a new trend that poses a fresh challenge to security agencies.
Reason: Such drones can fly long distances and make comparatively less noise, thus making it harder for security agencies to detect these as compared to the large-sized drones.
In the past six months, according to officials involved in the fight against drugs, most of the drones spotted or shot down along Punjab’s 554-km long international border with Pakistan, were small-sized, which could be used to push heroin between 500 grams to 1 kg.
Made in China
A senior cop of a border district revealed that these drones are so stealthy that these can even be used to drop consignments during the day.
“The new small drones are hi-tech Chinese flying objects, with a long flight time and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities,” the officer said.
Roughly 70% of the drones seized in the first seven months of the year were small-sized, mainly Matrice 300 RTK, a UAV manufactured by Chinese company DJI.
As per officials, the DJI Matrice 300 is more reliable than the assembled drones which were earlier being used to carry big loads.
“We cannot share the exact data on these drones because forensic assessment is on in many cases,” the official said.
While some drones were shot down by alert BSF personnel, others were recovered during search operations. “One cannot be fully sure how many have successfully dropped drugs or arms into the Indian territory,” a senior police official said.
Why the change in strategy by smugglers?
A senior BSF official, not willing to be named, revealed, “Last year, we had shot down some big drones which were believed to have been assembled in Pakistan. The change in strategy by smugglers is the result of those seizures which have resulted in huge losses to smugglers. A small, high-tech drone ensures precise drops at specified locations and is equipped with high-definition cameras that are capable of live-recording and taking pictures.”
Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said, “These drones can fly high without making much noise. They are not easily visible to the naked eye.”
Another senior police official said that in many cases, small quantities of contraband, weighing as little as 250 kg, wrapped in small cold drink bottles were found dropped by small drones. These can carry a maximum load up to 6kgs.
“As per assessment, in wake of our recent operations, even small smugglers in India have bought their own drones. The drones go across the border, collect the load and come back. Some drones manage to cross the border thrice to take the load,” a senior official from Special Task Force (STF) against drugs said.
Soaring trouble
According to official data, at least 244 drones have been spotted in Punjab so far this year, with more than two-fold increase in drone activity as compared to last year. Fifty-five drones have been shot down by BSF this year. While 221 drone activities were detected inside the Indian territory, 22 were inside Pakistan.
BSF’s internal data reveal that 311 drones were spotted this year across the entire western border — Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, with around 75% of these sighting in Punjab.
While in 2020, the BSF spotted 66 drones from across the border in Punjab, in 2021, there were 67 such sightings. Last year, around 104 drone activities were recorded.
On August 2, Minister of state for home affairs, Nisith Pramanik, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, said anti-national elements and smugglers were using drones for smuggling of arms and narcotics into Punjab from across the border.
He said a detailed vulnerability mapping had been carried out along the India-Pakistan border, including the state of Punjab, to strengthen surveillance by deploying vehicles and additional special surveillance equipment and Integrated Surveillance technology, equipped with CCTV/PTZ cameras, IR sensors and infrared alarm.
