Intelligence sources today revealed that drug smugglers from Pakistan have started using trained divers to cross the International Border (IB) into the Indian side of Punjab.
The development comes in the backdrop of tightened security measures adopted by the Border Security Force (BSF), thus curbing drug trade via land.
In lieu of drug smuggling via land routes, the suppliers have now started employing trained divers to navigate a 35 km river area of Punjab’s Ferozpur, Guradaspur and Amritsar sectors of the IB.
To harden security at the border region, the BSF has recently introduced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), laser walls and thermal images along with larger deployment of troops in the border region to prevent the drug trade.
The BSF, responsible for guarding a 553 km – 518 km of land and 33 km water body – of the IB along Punjab has seized approximately 729 kg of narcotics, mostly consisting of heroin, worth hundreds of crores in the past three years.
As per sources, the highest recovery of narcotics, worth almost 340 kg, was made from Ferozpur sector. The new plot of using trained divers was revealed when forces interrogated a peddler, who confessed that a diver delivered him the consignment.
A senior BSF officer from the Ferozpur sector, said, “We are using various methods, including technology, to seal the unfenced riverine gaps, but scuba divers are proving to be a real challenge.”
He claimed that the divers are using re-breathers to stop bubbles from surfacing.
In addition to the officer’s statement, several BSF troops also confirmed that a detailed report about the new diving method has been sent to senior officers.
In the recent past, several farmers in the region have also been caught with narcotics in their agriculture equipment. While the BSF is trying its best to stop the illicit activities, this new method is proving hard to identify.
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