BSF guns down 4 smugglers near Pak border, recovers 10kg heroin

The BSF shot dead four persons, including two Pakistani intruders, and recovered 10 kg of heroin from their possession on the Indo-Pak border in the district in the wee hours on Sunday.

Border Security Force (BSF) troops gunned down two Pakistani and two Indian narcotics smugglers early Sunday morning in the area of responsibility of border out post (BOP) Mehndipur Base along the Indo-Pak border.

BSF personnel inspect the body of one of the four smugglers shot dead along the Indo-Pak border. Ten kilograms of contraband, arms and Pakistani currency was seized from the smugglers’ possession. (PTI Photo)

Ten packets (approximately 10 kgs) of contraband suspected to be heroin worth Rs 50 crore, arms and ammunition, Pakistani currency and SIM cards were also seized from their possession.

In a press conference, BSF inspector general (Punjab Frontier) Anil Paliwal said at around 4.30am on Sunday, the Pakistani smugglers were to pass the heroin to their two Indian counterparts through a pipe in the border security fence.

“BSF troops of 191 battalion sensed their movement and cornered them. Finding themselves trapped, they opened fire on the troops. The BSF men retaliated, killing the smugglers,” he said.

Paliwal said ten packets of contraband , two Pakistan-made pistols, one local-made pistol, 54 live rounds of ammunition, one plastic pipe, Pakistani currency notes worth Rs 270, a knife, a packet of cigarettes made in Pakistan and a SIM card of the neighbouring country were recovered from the spot.

RK Thapa, deputy inspector general (DIG) Punjab frontier, said: “The enhanced vigil of BSF troops has once again thwarted the attempt by smugglers and anti-national elements to smuggle contraband items into India. In the future also, we will not allow them to succeed in their attempts.”