BSF Seizes Suspicious Drone In Amritsar’s Rattankhurd Village Near Pakistan Border

Amritsar: The Border Security Force (BSF) allegedly recovered a ‘Made In China’ drone from a farming field in Rattankhurd Village located in Punjab's Amritsar near the Pakistan border. According to reports, the drone was recovered on Sunday morning from a farming field after the security forces intercepted the suspicious drone. 

According to the BSF officials, “Based on the inputs of the intelligence wing, the vigilant BSF troops seized a 01 DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone in broken condition from a farming field adjacent to the village of Rattankhurd of Amritsar district in Punjab. The drone is presumed to have fallen due to technical interference of electronic countermeasures deployed on the border.”

In another statement, the officials stated, “Keen observation and diligent efforts of BSF troops thwarted yet another illicit drone intrusion from across the border.”

Earlier, on May 14, the BSF recovered another drone, a pistol and a packet of suspected heroin in three separate incidents along the Indo-Pak border in Punjab. The recoveries were made on the reliable intelligence inputs from the BSF intelligence wing.

According to the BSF, the first recovery near Mahawa village in Amritsar district was at around 8.15 am, when the troops conducted a search operation and recovered one pistol and a magazine from a harvested field. The firearm was wrapped in yellow adhesive tape, with two illuminating strips attached to it.

In the second incident, a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone was recovered at around 11.20 am near the village of Metla in the Gurdaspur district. The drone was suspected to have been used for cross-border smuggling.

The officials stated that the reliable intelligence input prompted a swift action by the BSF troops to successfully foil the smuggling attempt of arms and narcotics using a drone from across the border.

Notably, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had approved the purchase of anti-drone systems to combat weapon and drug smuggling across the 532 km border with Pakistan. The state government is likely to spend Rs 51.41 crore on this initiative to enhance the security measures near the border by installing nine anti-drone units bolstering the border security.

He emphasised, "Punjab is standing firmly with the nation and is the first to face enemy bullets. We will safeguard the tricolour, and the waters of the state. The Army will be supported. There is no need to panic. Some shekks were found in the fields.

In addition to his response, an official spokesperson added, "The requirement for an anti-drone system (ADS) to enhance the capability to detect and neutralise hostile drones, thereby preventing the influx of arms, explosives, and narcotics which are smuggled from across the borders using the drones, is a must. Further, it is imperative for the purpose of security during the movement of VIP and ‘highly threatened’ persons in the state."