More heroin recovered as Pak smugglers up ante

Drug smugglers from across the border in Pakistan appear to have stepped up their game with the border security force (BSF) recovering more heroin – worth around `180cr – from two places along the Indo-Pak border in Punjab.

Drug smugglers from across the border in Pakistan appear to have stepped up their game with the border security force (BSF) recovering more heroin – worth around Rs 180cr – from two places along the Indo-Pak border in Punjab.

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The recovery comes amid a standoff between Indian and Pakistani authorities on a border crossing point in Jammu and Kashmir where a truck from Pakistan was found to have been carrying 100kg of narcotics last week.

Tuesday’s hauls are the most narcotics to have been seized in a single day over the past couple of months that have seen smugglers stepping up their attempts to cross over to Indian territory. BSF officials say the drug runners try to use the foggy weather conditions to their advantage at this time of the year. The security men also recovered arms, and in one of the cases, a mobile phone with a Pakistani connection.

The first incident took place along the Indo-Pak border in Naushehra Dhalla area of the Amritsar sector and the second incident, where the smugglers also reportedly fired back, in the Ferozepur sector.

"In the first incident, the jawans observed some movement near the fence. Since Pakistani smugglers continued with aggressive postures, the BSF jawans fired 5 rounds and they ran away," BSF inspector-general AK Tomar informed, adding that a subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of 20kg of heroin, a pistol, two magazines, 12 rounds and one mobile phone with a Pakistani SIM card.

In the second incident, the jawans spotted movement near the fence and upon challenging the suspects, they were fired upon. The alleged smugglers fled in the ensuing encounter, leaving behind 16 packets of heroin, one pistol, one pistol magazine, and 6 rounds.

"Pakistani smugglers find this season very suitable. So they make maximum efforts to push in narcotics and arms into India. We are equally prepared to thwart their movement on the fence," Tomar said.

On January 19, the BSF recovered 17kg heroin from the Daoke area of Amritsar sector.