Tribune News Service
In the past 10 months, a record 183 drones were recovered by the Border Security Force (BSF) near the Punjab border, a marked increase over the 107 recovered in 2023. These drones originating from Pakistan are used for smuggling. Drugs, weapons and ammunition.
On October 30, as many as five drones, pistols and around 2 kg of heroin were recovered from different parts of Punjab. In the past week alone, the BSF has intercepted 15 drones, arrested nine suspected drug traffickers and seized about 9 kg of heroin. On average, four to five drones are recovered per week. “This large-scale capture highlights not only the scope of the drug trafficking attempt but also the strategic plan adopted by the traffickers,” the BSF statement said.
By October 30, BSF officials had detained 77 people suspected of being involved in cross-border smuggling and had seized 219 kg of heroin, 15 kg of opium, 34 pistols, 45 magazines and 405 rounds of ammunition. It was announced that it had been confiscated. Dropped by a drone.
However, sources warn that there may also be many drone incursions that go undetected. The BSF has devised training and procedures to detect and neutralize drones, primarily based on visual and auditory observations. A limited number of anti-drone systems are also in place.
Of the five BSF borders along Pakistan, Punjab is the most active in terms of drug smuggling, followed by the Sriganganagar region on the Rajasthan border due to its proximity to dense housing and numerous access roads along the border.
While the situation in the Jammu and Kashmir border region includes infiltration and influx of arms, the southern states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, where the border region is sparsely populated, have witnessed few such incidents.
According to the BSF, all recovered drones were manufactured in China by a private company based in Shenzhen, with the exception of a small number of drones that were probably assembled locally from discarded drones or parts sourced from off-the-shelf parts and kits. It is said to be the DJI Mavic series.
The Mavic series has several variants and is a small quadcopter weighing less than 1 kg. It can fly at speeds of up to 75 km/h, reach altitudes of 6,000 m, and last approximately 40 minutes.
