India is faced with new cross-border challenges, drones carrying in drugs like opium and heroin from Pakistan. Border Security Forces (BSF) in the state of Punjab is said to have intercepted 90 drones so far in 2023. They said this number is the highest on record, with the number increasing every month.
Atul Fulzele, the inspector general of BSF in Punjab, told The Guardian that anything which does not have a legitimate entry into India is a security challenge. “Apart from the use of drones for drugs, there are instances where drones have been found dropping weapons and it has the potential to cause damage.”
The Border Security Forces have taken several measures, including increasing troops deployment and vulnerability mapping, to prevent the smuggling of narcotics and weapons from across the border.
General Western Command, Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, told the media that narcotics smuggling has been a challenge for a long time in Punjab, Rajasthan and Jammu. “For the last two to three years, we are seeing that continuous attempts are being made to smuggle drugs and weapons from across the border with use of drones.”
Apart from bringing down the drones, Khurania said they have to investigate with the police to find out from whom and where the drone came, who all are involved. “There are many cases in which those who were involved were nabbed and following their investigation, we got good inputs.”
The BSF Special Director General said they have increase troops deployment in the areas where drone activity is high. He added that special checkpoints have been setup with assistance of the local police. CCTVs have also been installed at vulnerable points near the border areas in Punjab.
Fulzele said drones were responsible for about 60 percent of the drug-smuggling in the Punjab state in 2023. “We used just to be focused on land, but this aerial domination is a new domain for us and it is indeed a challenge.” However, he believes they will be able to contain the drone menace by next year.
Another officer said most of the drones have been seized from surrounding farms. “We have found many, many drones here and many, many drugs. They come 24 hours. Of course it’s a big concern for us, but we are working with police and are successful in catching these drones when they come.”
In regards to working with the authorities across the border, Indian officers say there’s no communication. They believe Pakistan officials are turning a blind eye to the growing scale of infiltration. The BSF pointed out that drone technology is becoming cheaper and more accessible to procure. As such the problem is accelerating.