BSF asks police to take 136 drug smugglers in preventive custody

With the onset of dense fog in this border belt, the BSF has shared a list of 136 drug peddlers, who use drones for cross-border smuggling, with the Punjab Police for taking action under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT -NDPS) Act.

Stating this during a press conference on the eve of the 60th Raising Day of the force at the Attari joint check post here today, Inspector-General of BSF (Punjab Frontier) Atul Fulzale said, “Traffickers take advantage of the reduced visibility during winter due to fog and smuggle drugs and sophisticated weapons using drones. We have handed over a list of 136 smugglers to the state police for their preventive arrest in order to curb the cross-border smuggling,” said the IG.

The number of rouge drones intercepted by the BSF along the Punjab border has reached 270 this year against 107 last year and 21 in 2022. The IG said 90% of seizures made this year were through drones. The BSF confiscated 254 kg of heroin this year as compared to 440 kg recovered last year and 317 kg in 2022.

The BSF has set up a laboratory at its Khasa headquarters in Amritsar for analysing the drones seized from near the international border. This has helped the force to predict the pattern of smuggling and act accordingly. — TNS