BSF foils Pak smugglers’ bid to push in drugs, ammo into state

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 16

Unprecedented fog in spring season has increased the problem of the Border Security Force with anti-national elements and Pakistan-based smugglers making attempts for pushing in drugs into Punjab. This year, the BSF has already confiscated over 77kg of heroin on the Indo-Pak border in Punjab.

On Sunday, the BSF seized 6kg of heroin, valued at Rs 30 crores in the international black market, from Kakkar border outpost falling in the Amritsar sector.

A BSF official said jawans had noticed the movement of a Pakistani smuggler near the barbed fence who threw something on to the Indian side of the border. When the BSF jawans challenged him, he fled back. During search, the BSF jawan found two packets containing 2kg heroin.

A search operation was conducted in the area on this morning also where the jawans recovered four more packets consisting of 4kg heroin. The contraband was handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau for further investigation.

On the intervening night of February 12 and13, the BSF shot an intruder and confiscated 14.8kg of heroin valued at Rs 74 crores in the international market.

Another seizure of 5kg was made in the Ferozepur sector on the intervening night of February 12 and13 while a PVC plastic pipe was found inserted in the barbed fence near the Bhindisaida border outpost which indicated that the smugglers had pushed in a drug consignment.

A senior BSF official, wishing anonymity said this was perhaps the first time that the dense fog had engulfed the region in February. “For the past five days, the fog has been enveloping the border belt. This has provided favourable condition for the anti-national elements to slip in drugs and arms consignments on to the Indian side. The conditions become very challenging as visibility becomes zero due to the dense fog,” he said.