Cross border drug smuggling down despite volatile border with Pakistan

The Intelligence Bureau has however said that being the border forces cannot afford to be complacent at any time.

The Indian security agencies who face the heat everyday due to a volatile border have been successful in brining down the number of smuggling incidents along the Indo-Pak border.

Data and comparative statistics available show that cross-border smuggling has dipped since 2015. The BSF seized 344.5 kg of narcotics in 2015, it came down to 222.98 kg in 2016. Till October 10 this year, the BSF has seized 163.52 kg, according to official data.

This is a major achievement considering the fact that cross border hostilities thanks to Pakistan continue to remain. BSF officers deployed along the border said over the past few months, the strength of the border guarding force in Punjab has been busting various cases of drug smuggling.

The BSF has also come up with the idea of installing laser walls to plug riverine gaps where fences cannot be put up, but there are some technical glitches and drawbacks in the system. 64 kilometres of the border in Punjab cannot be fenced, Union Home Ministry statistics reveal.

In addition to the increasing to the border vigil has also come up with a new project called the comprehensive integrated border management. This project would cover the stretch of the Indo-Pak border across four states. This involves a "smart fence" equipped with intruder detector sensors and alarms backed with CCTVs that pinpoint the exact location of the violation. Quick reaction teams would then respond to the threat.

The BSF has also taken up several issues with the Punjab Police, which includes shortage of nakas or police check posts in some sensitive areas and ensuring joint interrogation of smugglers apprehended by the state police, sources say. A joint committee will identify tactical points in areas close to the border where nakas can be set up.

The Intelligence Bureau has however said that being the border forces cannot afford to be complacent at any time. Pakistan relies heavily on drug smuggling to fund terror activities. Pakistan uses the Dawood network to move drugs between Afghanistan and the rest of the world through India.

OneIndia News