Following stricter vigil along the international border in Punjab, the drug mafia in Pakistan has started air-dropping heroin along the border in Rajasthan and Gujarat, top sources in central agencies and the Border Security Force (BSF) told News18.
According to sources, the BSF has recorded a surge in seizure of drugs, mainly heroin, in Rajasthan and Gujarat, similar to a spike noticed by central agencies too.
Data shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs revealed that, in 2020, the BSF made no such heroin recoveries along the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat. But in 2022, 49kg heroin were seized by the force. According to the ground officials, much of the consignment was bound for Punjab.
Similarly, along the international border in Rajasthan, the BSF recovered 8 kg of heroin in 2020 and close to 64 kg in 2021. In the first half of 2023, the BSF has recovered 44.5 kg of heroin from the border.
Local authorities told News18 that Punjab-based drug dealers had been identified in the area and some of them were arrested when they tried to retrieve the heroin consignment dropped by Pakistan-based suppliers using drones. These consignments were bound for Punjab via road, officials said.
In one such case, the BSF caught two Punjab-based smugglers from Sriganganagar in Rajasthan and recovered heroin worth Rs 30 crore. Bikaner and Jaisalmer, too, have recorded similar movement of drugs from Pakistan.
“In one instance, a drone flew four times from the other side of the border and intruded into our territory. It was finally caught the fourth time. With the help of local police, we found that the drone was carrying drugs and Punjab-based smugglers also tried to pick up the consignment. But before they could pick it up, we shot down the drone,” a top BSF official told News18.
Explaining the MO of Pakistan-based drugs suppliers, another official said: “The receiver, who is based in Punjab, asks the Pakistan-based supplier to supply drugs from the borders in Gujarat or Rajasthan. The receiver asks his aides to pick up the drugs, giving them details of the location, time and date. Once his aides reach the area, the supplier drops the heroin from across the border and alerts the receiver. The Punjab-based receiver alerts his aides who pick up the consignment and reach Punjab by road.”
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