Amritsar (Punjab) [India], July 29 : Continuing its relentless crackdown on cross-border smuggling, the vigilant BSF troops, in joint operations, apprehended two smugglers and recovered six rogue drones carrying heroin and weapon parts in multiple incidents along the Amritsar and Tarn Taran borders.
Acting on the intelligence, two smugglers, residents of Bhikhiwind, were apprehended near village Dal in Tarn Taran area with a bike, two mobile phones and pistol parts with live rounds, said the release.
In multiple coordinated operations in the last few hours, BSF troops neutralized and recovered total six drones - five DJI Mavic 3 Classic and one DJI Air 3 S across villages Roranwala Khurd, Dhanoe Kalan, Bhaini Rajputana and Daoke in Amritsar. These drones carried heroin (total gross weight: approx. 1.73 kg), pistol parts and empty magazines.
These apprehensions and seizures highlight BSF's resolve to safeguard the border and curb Pakistan-backed smuggling via aerial routes.
Earlier on Monday, the Border Security Force seized four drones with a pistol and heroin in separate incidents at Amritsar and Tarn Taran border in Punjab, as per an official statement.
"During the intervening night of July 27-28, BSF troops on duty successfully neutralised and recovered 3 DJI Mavic, 3 Classic drones along with 1 pistol and 2 heroin packets (Gross Weight- 1.150 Kgs) from the area adjacent to the village of Pulmoran Amritsar. One packet was found attached to each drone," the press release said.
In a joint search operation based on specific input, yesterday, the BSF and Punjab Police jointly recovered 1 DJI AIR 3 drone from a farming field adjacent to the village of Dal, Tarn Taran.
Meanwhile, in a significant breakthrough, Amritsar Rural Police, in collaboration with central agencies, recovered a large consignment of weapons from five people allegedly involved in a trans-border smuggling network.
Speaking to ANI, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural, Maninder Singh, said that five people have been arrested in the case, and the consignment was sent by an individual named Rana, linked to an ISI-sponsored terrorist element."
Amritsar Rural Police, in collaboration with central agencies, conducted an operation and arrested five individuals. From them, one AK series assault rifle, 90 live rounds, two magazines, two Glock pistols, four Glock magazines, and Rs 7.5 lakh in drug money were recovered... The five arrested, Joban, Gora, Jaspreet, Sunny, and Shenshan, were stopped in a car in Kaler village, and arms were recovered from them. They revealed in a preliminary investigation that Nav Pandori, a close associate of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, had ordered this consignment," SSP Singh told ANI.
"This consignment was sent by an individual named Rana, linked to ISI-sponsored terrorist elements. We suspect that Rana has connections with the BKI (Babbar Khalsa International) terrorist elements. Rana sent the consignment to them via drone," he added.