Weapons and Heroin Sent via Pakistani Drone in Punjab

A large quantity of weapons and narcotics has been recovered from fields near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab's Gurdaspur district. According to an India Today report, security agencies seized three .30-bore pistols, 50 live cartridges, six magazines, and approximately one kilogram of heroin during a joint search operation.

It is suspected that the entire consignment was dropped by a Pakistani drone. The operation was carried out in the fields of Talwandi Goraya village in the Dera Baba Nanak area. The BSF and local police conducted the search based on specific intelligence inputs.

Confirming the recovery, Station House Officer (SHO) Ashok Kumar stated that a joint search operation was conducted by the police and BSF based on secret information. During this, security personnel recovered three .30-bore pistols, 50 live cartridges, six magazines, and 970 grams of heroin.

The SHO further added that the consignment was allegedly delivered via a Pakistani drone. He noted that attempts to send weapons and narcotics from across the border into Indian territory are being frequently recorded. It has been learned that the land from which these weapons and narcotics were recovered belongs to a person named Lakha Singh.

Investigators are now trying to ascertain who was supposed to collect these weapons and heroin, and whether this incident is linked to a larger cross-border smuggling network. A case has been registered in this matter and further investigation is underway. The BSF and Punjab Police have continued search operations in the border belt to look for any other consignments or individuals linked to this smuggling attempt.

This incident comes at a time when the Punjab Police is taking a series of actions against cross-border weapons and narcotics smuggling networks operated with the help of handlers based in Pakistan or other foreign locations. According to the India Today report, on October 27, the Counter Intelligence Unit of the Punjab Police in Amritsar busted an illegal weapons smuggling module and arrested three persons, from whom 10 foreign-made .30-bore pistols and magazines were recovered.

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav stated that preliminary investigations revealed the accused were in contact with a foreign handler who assisted in sending illegal weapons. These weapons were being supplied to criminal elements through a systematic distribution network. In another case, the Amritsar Rural Police arrested Navjot Singh, a 28-year-old truck driver from Tarn Taran, from whom an AK-47 rifle, nine live cartridges, and two hand grenades were recovered. Police allege that he was procuring weapons under the direction of foreign smugglers.

This recent incident in Gurdaspur has increased concerns over the use of drones to send weapons and narcotics across the international border. Currently, investigators are focusing on identifying the handlers behind this consignment and its intended recipients.