After maintaining silence for nearly two months, Pakistan has once again resumed its nefarious activities along the International Border (IB), attempting to drop drugs via drones into Indian territory. In the past four days, two such attempts were made from across the border, raising fresh concerns about cross-border narco-terrorism.
On Tuesday, a yellow packet containing 500 grams of heroin, worth over ₹2 crore, was recovered near the international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, minutes after it was reportedly dropped by a Pakistani drone.
According to reports, residents of Chhann Tanda village, located close to the border under the jurisdiction of Hiranagar Police Station, spotted a suspicious yellow packet lying in their fields.
Following the alert, teams from the Police, Special Operations Group (SOG), and Border Security Force (BSF) rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area.
SSP Kathua, Shobhit Saxena, confirmed the incident and told the media, "A suspicious yellow packet has been recovered. FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) and the Bomb Disposal Squad have been called in to ascertain the contents. The situation will be clear only after proper investigation."
This is the second drone-based drug drop recovered by security forces from a border village in the Jammu region in just four days.
On July 26, police recovered half a kilogram of heroin after it was dropped by a Pakistani drone in Chillyari, a border village in Samba district.
Tuesday's recovery was made by BSF personnel in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua during an ongoing search operation launched after reports of suspected drone movement. The operation was still underway when the last reports came in.
Recovery in Samba
On Saturday, police seized another heroin consignment, weighing approximately 500 grams, suspected to have been dropped by a drone, in a forward village near the IB in Samba district.
A police spokesperson said, "The consignment, weighing about 498 grams, was found lying in an open field in Chillyari village. A search operation was launched immediately." An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) at Ghagwal Police Station.
Sources said Pakistan has resumed its drone-based smuggling operations after a lull of two months following Operation Sindoor, India's retaliatory action against cross-border terror infrastructure in May.
Two Drug Peddlers Arrested in Kashmir
As part of its continuing efforts to curb drug trafficking, Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two drug peddlers in Baramulla and Sopore, recovering contraband substances from their possession.
In Baramulla, a police party led by SHO Police Station Kunzer intercepted a suspect during routine checking at Lolpora near Grid Station. The individual, identified as Ishfaq Ali Lone, son of Ali Mohammad Lone, resident of Hanjiwera, Pattan, was found in possession of 20 grams of brown sugar-like substance. He was arrested and remains in custody.
In a separate incident in Sopore, a police checkpoint at Maharajpora intercepted a suspicious individual who tried to flee on seeing the naka party. He was tactfully apprehended. A polythene bag containing psychotropic tablets was recovered from his possession.
The accused has been identified as Latif Ahmad Lasso, son of Habibullah Lasso, resident of Maharajpora, Sopore. He was arrested and remains in police custody.
Accordingly, FIRs have been registered under relevant sections of law at the respective police stations, and further investigations are underway.
