Punjab: BSF recovers 8 kg heroin dropped via drones near Indo-Pakistan border in Amritsar

In another crackdown on cross-border drug smuggling, the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 8 kg of heroin from the International Border area near Punjab's Amritsar district on Thursday. Officials said that the drugs were dropped via drone close to the border security fence a night before. The troops conducted searches after detecting drone movement in the sector and recovered Quadcopter, Model - DJI Phantom 4 PRO from the fields.

In the photos accessed by Republic, a pouch was seen attached to the drone using threads, indicating that goods were dropped using the aerial device. On Thursday morning, the BSF found a bundle of packaged heroin dropped in the bushes. 

BSF seizes drugs worth ₹100 crore from the India-Pakistan border

This comes just a week after the BSF recovered 22 kilograms of heroin from Punjab's Ferozpur in three separate incidents. Thwarting the attempt by Pakistan-based smugglers to push narcotics and ammunition inside the Indian territory, the troops seized arms and ammunition including one pistol along with a magazine and eight live cartridges from the district.

Additionally, drugs including 10 packets of heroin weighing 19.375 kg and 430 grams of opium was also recovered, they said. The amount of heroin recovered is worth over Rs 100 crore in the international market.

In a statement, BSF asserted, "On 11th Jan' 2022, during wee hours, alert Border Security Force troops, observed some suspicious movement ahead of BS Fence in the AOR of Ferozepur Sector. On search of the area, 10 pkts of contraband item suspected to be Heroin (Gross weight - 19.375 Kgs) & opium (Gross weight -appx 430 gms) tied in yellow wrapping along with 01 Pistol, 01 magazine, and 08 cartridges were recovered."

Sources informed that the on-duty BSF personnel observed some suspicious movement ahead of border fencing near Border Out Post Amarkot along the Indo-Pakistan border during the early hours. Later, a search operation was carried out during which 10 packets tied in yellow wrapping were recovered.