Drone drops 12 kg heroin near Amritsar amid rise in cross-border smuggling
CHANDIGARH: A consignment of over 12 kg of heroin, dropped by a drone from Pakistan, was recovered near Daleke village in the Lopoke area of Amritsar, amid a rise in cross-border smuggling attempts during the winter fog season. The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Punjab Police, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), recovered approximately 12.050 kg of heroin from agricultural fields near Daleke village. Officials said smugglers were attempting to exploit thick fog conditions that severely reduce visibility along the 553-kilometre Indo-Pak international border in Punjab during winter. Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said that during routine patrolling of identified vulnerable points, information was received about the presence of a drone in agricultural fields in the Daleke village area. Acting promptly on the input, joint teams from the ANTF, under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh, carried out a systematic search of the suspected location, he said, adding that a consignment of heroin was recovered from fields near Daleke village. The total weight of the recovered contraband, including packaging material, was found to be 12.050 kg, the DGP said. Sharing further details, Superintendent of Police, ANTF, Gurpreet Singh said preliminary investigation was underway to trace backward and forward linkages in the case using technical evidence and human intelligence. Suspects who were supposed to retrieve the consignment have been identified, and raids are being conducted to nab them, he said. A case, FIR No. 322 dated December 22, 2025, has been registered under Sections 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station ANTF. Sources said that since December 1 this year, the BSF has recovered around seven drones and 24 kg of heroin along the international border. With this, the total number of drone recoveries this year has risen to 279, while heroin seizures have reached approximately 400 kg. The small, low-flying drones, equipped with GPS-enabled drop mechanisms, are launched from Pakistan, often flying at night and returning within minutes. It is believed that many drones may have returned after successfully airdropping consignments of heroin, arms and ammunition. Sources said Pakistan-based drug syndicates and terror modules deliberately time their operations to coincide with periods of heavy fog, which usually last from late evening until well into the afternoon. The reduced visibility creates favourable conditions for cross-border infiltration and drone-based smuggling, hampering normal surveillance. Despite the challenging weather conditions, surveillance along the border has been significantly strengthened. Foot patrols have been enhanced, monitoring from observation towers has been intensified, and trained sniffer dogs have been deployed along the border fence and approach roads. These dogs, specially trained to detect narcotics and explosives, play a crucial role in identifying hidden consignments and tracking smugglers attempting to exploit foggy conditions. In many cases, drones have been intercepted and their payloads recovered before reaching their intended receivers, sources said.
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