News Analysis India

Tag: India Pakistan border

  • Drone activity along India-Pak border in Punjab poses challenge for security agencies: Officials

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Movement of drones for airdropping drugs, arms and ammunition continues to pose a challenge for security agencies with over 150 such activities noticed this year so far at several points along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, said officials.

    They said the use of drones for the smuggling narcotics, arms and ammunition first came to notice in 2019 in Punjab.

    The Border Security Force, which is guarding the 553 km stretch of border with Pakistan, has this year shot down 10 drones–three in the last week–besides thwarting intrusion of many unmanned aerial vehicles, the officials said.

    “More than 150 drone activities have been spotted so far,” said a senior official of the BSF (Punjab Frontier).

    One drone was shot down near the Shahpur border outpost in Amritsar on October 14, two were gunned down on October 16 and 17 in the Amritsar sector, said the officials.

    The officials said smugglers backed by Pakistan’s spy agency ISI are using sophisticated and high-end Chinese drones, with minimum sound and capable of flying at higher level.

    A drone which was shot down on October 14 was a quadcopter (DJI Matrice) and a holding and releasing mechanism also found with this drone.

    Most drone activities have been concentrated in areas along the international border in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts, said the officials.

    However, drone movements have also been spotted in Ferozepur and Gurdaspur areas, they added.

    The BSF had coordinated with the Punjab Police in busting a gang involved in smuggling of narcotics and weapons from across the border in Tarn Taran area this year, said the senior BSF official.

    Last month, the BSF had decided to shoot Indian smugglers who come to collect narcotics and weapons, smuggled from Pakistan, near the international border.

    “If a smuggler comes to receive the consignment or attacks, the law permits us to fire at the smuggler,” said the BSF official.

    The BSF has also decided to reward its personnel who gun down a drone sneaking into Indian territory.

    In April this year, the BSF had announced to give Rs 1 lakh reward to a person who provides information leading to the arrest of persons using drones for smuggling of narcotics, arms and ammunition from Pakistan.

    CHANDIGARH: Movement of drones for airdropping drugs, arms and ammunition continues to pose a challenge for security agencies with over 150 such activities noticed this year so far at several points along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, said officials.

    They said the use of drones for the smuggling narcotics, arms and ammunition first came to notice in 2019 in Punjab.

    The Border Security Force, which is guarding the 553 km stretch of border with Pakistan, has this year shot down 10 drones–three in the last week–besides thwarting intrusion of many unmanned aerial vehicles, the officials said.

    “More than 150 drone activities have been spotted so far,” said a senior official of the BSF (Punjab Frontier).

    One drone was shot down near the Shahpur border outpost in Amritsar on October 14, two were gunned down on October 16 and 17 in the Amritsar sector, said the officials.

    The officials said smugglers backed by Pakistan’s spy agency ISI are using sophisticated and high-end Chinese drones, with minimum sound and capable of flying at higher level.

    A drone which was shot down on October 14 was a quadcopter (DJI Matrice) and a holding and releasing mechanism also found with this drone.

    Most drone activities have been concentrated in areas along the international border in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts, said the officials.

    However, drone movements have also been spotted in Ferozepur and Gurdaspur areas, they added.

    The BSF had coordinated with the Punjab Police in busting a gang involved in smuggling of narcotics and weapons from across the border in Tarn Taran area this year, said the senior BSF official.

    Last month, the BSF had decided to shoot Indian smugglers who come to collect narcotics and weapons, smuggled from Pakistan, near the international border.

    “If a smuggler comes to receive the consignment or attacks, the law permits us to fire at the smuggler,” said the BSF official.

    The BSF has also decided to reward its personnel who gun down a drone sneaking into Indian territory.

    In April this year, the BSF had announced to give Rs 1 lakh reward to a person who provides information leading to the arrest of persons using drones for smuggling of narcotics, arms and ammunition from Pakistan.

  • Punjab Police recover ‘tiffin box bomb’ hidden in fields near India-Pakistan border

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police has said it foiled a possible attempt of a terror attack after it recovered an explosive-filled tiffin box hidden in an agricultural field near the Indo-Pak border in Ferozepur district on the eve of Diwali.

    The recovery was made in Ali Ke village on Wednesday following interrogation of three people arrested earlier this week in connection with the Jalalabad blast case.

    Director General of Police (DGP) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota said the Ludhiana Rural police on Monday had arrested two persons for allegedly providing shelter and logistical support to Ranjeet Singh alias Gora, an accused in the Jalalabad blast case being investigated by the NIA.

    The two people arrested were Jaswant Singh alias Shinda Baba, a resident of village Jhugge Nihanga Wale in Ferozepur, and Balwant Singh of village Walipur Khurd in Ludhiana. Ranjeet Singh alias Gora too has been arrested, the DGP said.

    According to an official statement, one “tiffin bomb”, two pen drives and Rs 1.15 lakh in cash were recovered from the trio earlier.

    During the course of investigation of the case, it came to light that the accused were in possession of another “tiffin bomb” which they had kept concealed in agriculture fields.

    “Following revelations of the accused persons, a joint search operation was carried out by teams of Counter Intelligence (of Punjab Police), Ferozepur and Ludhiana and CIA (crime investigation agency) Jagraon at village Ali Ke in Ferozepur on Wednesday and the tiffin bomb was recovered,” the DGP said.

    An FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) at Sidhwan Bet Police Station in Ludhiana Rural.

    Additional Director General of Police (Internal Security) R N Dhoke said that further investigation in the case is on and more arrests are expected to be made soon.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on Monday conducted searches at four locations in Fazilka and Ferozepur districts of Punjab in connection with the explosion in a two-wheeler near a Punjab National Bank branch in Jalalabad of Fazilka.

    Balwinder Singh alias Bindu of village Jhugge Nihanga Wale died in the motorcycle blast on September 15.

    Tiffin bombs have also been recovered in Amritsar Rural, Kapurthala, Fazilka and Tarn Taran in the past few months.

    The Punjab Police had earlier foiled a major terror attack attempt ahead of Independence Day after recovering a double-decker tiffin box bomb filled with improvised explosive device (IED) along the Indo-Pak border in Amritsar.

    The police had then said 2-3 kg IED was packed into the tiffin box and it could have been delivered on the Indian side through a drone from Pakistan.

  • BSF jurisdiction: Congress says will consult parties, state govts to compel Centre to repeal order

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Expressing grave concern over the Centre’s move to grant more powers to the Border Security Force, the Congress on Saturday said it will consult other political parties as well as state governments and formulate a course of action to compel the Modi government to repeal the order on it.

    The Union government has amended the BSF Act to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

    In a resolution, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) said the party has noted with grave concern the notifications issued by the central government empowering the officers of central security forces to search any place and arrest, as also search any person in the purported exercise of powers to prevent a cognisable offence under any central act.

    “This is a dangerous encroachment on the exclusive power of the states and the powers of the state police,” the CWC said.

    The Congress party will consult all stakeholders and other political parties as well as state governments and formulate a course of action to compel the Modi government to repeal these notifications, the resolution stated.

    The notification issued by the Centre will allow the border guarding force to execute the powers of search, seizure and arrest for the purpose of prevention of any offence punishable under the Passport Act, the Registration of Foreigners Act, the Central Excises and Salt Act, the Foreigners Act, the Foreign Exchange Management Act, the Customs Act or of any cognisable offence punishable under any other Central Act, according to officials.

    The resolution also alleged that drug trafficking has assumed “monstrous proportions” and the seizure of 3,000 kg of heroin at Mundra Port, Gujarat, following reports of another large consignment that was successfully “imported” into India, gives an indication of the huge dimensions of the illegal trade that seems to have flourished under the watch of the government.

  • Punjab Dy CM Randhawa conducts late-night surprise checking of police ‘nakas’ near Indo-Pak border

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa carried out late night surprise visit of police checkpoints near the Indo-Pak International Border in Amritsar district, officials said.

    Randhawa, who also holds the Home Department portfolio, late Friday evening conducted checking of the Punjab Police ‘nakas’ at Jagdev Khurd in Ajnala, Amritsar, they said.

    He also carried out checking of the ‘nakas’ in Gagomahal, they added.

    Randhawa interacted with police officials at the nakas, the officials said.

    Randhawa’s visit comes a day after he flayed the Centre’s decision to extend the BSF’s jurisdiction inside the International Border along Punjab, calling it an infringement on the rights of the state.

  • Pakistani national nabbed with 6 kg heroin along Indo-Pak border in Amritsar

    By PTI

    AMRITSAR: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday apprehended a Pakistani smuggler along the India-Pakistan border and recovered six kilogram of heroin from his possession.

    Deputy Inspector General, BSF Bhupinder Singh said the patrolling troops of the BSF on Saturday morning noticed some suspicious movement across the barbed fencing at theIndo-Pak border Rajatal village.

    During a search operation, BSF troops apprehended a Pakistani national and recovered more than six kilogram of heroin from his possession, said the DIG.

    The Pakistani national has been identified as Kashi Ali, a resident of Lahore in Pakistan.

    The DIG said further investigation was underway.

  • Runaway Madhya Pradesh man lodged in Pak jail to return home after 30 years

    By PTI

    SAGAR: A 57-year-old man, who was lodged in a Pakistani jail after inadvertently crossing into the neighbouring country, will return to his home in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district next week, a senior police official said on Saturday.

    Prahlad Singh, a resident of Ghoshi Patti village under Gourjhamar police station, about 46 km from here, will be handed over to India at Wagah border on August 30, Sagar’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Atul Singh said.

    The man had gone missing from his home 30 years ago, and in January, 2014, the Madhya Pradesh government found out that he was lodged in a jail in Pakistan, the official said.

    The police initiated the process of identification and correspondence for bringing him back from Pakistan in 2014, he said.

    The SP said that he received information on Friday that Pakistan will be handing Singh over to India, and a police team and his family are leaving for Amritsar to bring him back.

    It is yet to be ascertained how and when the man crossed over to Pakistan, the official said.

    Meanwhile, Singh’s family has claimed that he was mentally weak and they came to know that he was lodged in a jail in Pakistan after identifying his face on a television programme in 2014, Gourjhamar police station in-charge Arvind Singh Thakur said.

  • BSF personnel spots flying object in J&K’s Arnia, shot down

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Border Security Force personnel opened fire at a flying object that was spotted along the International Border in Arnia sector of Jammu district on Monday, an official said.

    “At about 0530 hours, a blinking red and yellow light in the sky was observed by our forward troops in Arnia sector near the IB”, the official said.

    Troops opened fire at the flying object following which it went towards Pakistan side, the official said.

    The area is being searched with the help of police.

  • Around 140 terrorists waiting at launch pads across LoC despite ceasefire: Official

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Around 140 terrorists are waiting at launch pads to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir and the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC) remains in place even though India and Pakistan agreed in February to a ceasefire, a senior security official said on Thursday.

    Contending that the ceasefire agreement was more important for Pakistan as it is desperately trying to come out of the “grey list” of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the sincerity of Islamabad could have been gauged if they had dismantled the terror infrastructure.

    The official at the same time said the Army has been noticing continued presence of around 140 terrorists at the launch pads across the LoC, likely waiting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir, but the robust counter-infiltration grid has so far desisted them from making any such attempts.

    “They tried in the past but had to return after alert jawans foiled all their nefarious designs,” the official said.

    The official said Pakistan is using the ceasefire window to strengthen its infrastructure along the LoC that was damaged in cross-border shelling last year in response to their troops’ firing at civilian areas on the Indian side of the LoC.

    Commenting on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir since the Centre abrogated its special status two years ago, the official said foreign terrorists have suddenly disappeared from the scene and got themselves locked in either some hideouts in densely populated areas or mountainous heights having natural caves.

    On locals joining terrorist outfits, the official said there has been a constant message to anyone and everyone that those having any evil design “against our country” should shun such ambitions as all those who either pick up a weapon or harbour ill intentions against the sovereignty of the nation “will be dealt with iron hand”.

    Simultaneously, he said, the Army has been constantly contacting the families whose children are likely to be brainwashed and asking them to take appropriate precautions against it.

    The results have borne fruits as a number of lives have been saved so far due to a proactive approach of educating families and preventing their wards from joining terror ranks, he added.

    Following talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan over hotline, a joint statement was issued on February 25, 2021 in which the two countries agreed to the strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefire along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from the February 24-25 midnight 2021.

  • Just six instances of ceasefire violations along LoC, IB since India-Pak agreement in February

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Only six incidents of ceasefire violations have been reported ever since India and Pakistan agreed in February to observe all pacts related to cross-border firings along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

    Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said as many as 5,133 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported in 2020; 3,479 in 2019; and 2,140 in 2018.

    In written reply to a question, Rai said following scheduled talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan over hotline, a joint statement was issued on February 25, 2021 in which both India and Pakistan agreed to the strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefire along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from the February 24-25 midnight 2021.

    While there were 380 incidents of ceasefire violations in January and 278 in February, there was not a single incident of ceasefire violation in March, just one in April, three in May and two in June.

    The minister said immediate and effective retaliation by the Indian Army and the BSF personnel is carried out during instances of unprovoked firings and ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

    Rai said the government’s consistent position has been that India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence.

    The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible action to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross-border terrorism against India in any manner.

    India and Pakistan continue to maintain regular channels of communication through the respective High Commissions and other established mechanisms, he said.

    The minister also said that according to reports, representatives of various political parties in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed the joint statement and several countries have issued statements welcoming the development as an important and positive step.

  • BSF seizes highest-ever quantity of 56 kg heroin along India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A seizure of more than 56 kg of heroin, the highest-ever quantity recovered along the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan, was effected by the BSF after it thwarted an alleged narcotics-smuggling bid by Pakistani operatives, officials said on Thursday.

    “The incident took place on the intervening night of June 2-3 when troops sensed suspicious movement at the border.

    A BSF sentry opened fire, forcing the smugglers to run,” a spokesperson of the Border Security Force (BSF) said.

    Officials said the incident was reported from the Bandli border post of Bikaner sector in the desert area of the border state.

    During a search, 54 packets of suspected heroin, weighing 56.63 kg, were recovered, the BSF spokesperson said.

    This was the highest-ever recovery of drugs during an anti-smuggling operation in the Rajasthan sector, he added.

    BSF DIG Pushpendra Rathore said the narcotic substance was being smuggled in pieces of PVC pipes.

    The spokesperson said the force “foiled attempts by Pakistani smugglers to push contraband substances into India”.