BSF, Punjab Police jointly recover suspected Pakistani drone

Drones recoveries made based on inputs from intelligence wing

According to the BSF, the drone is presumed to have fallen due to electronic countermeasures at the border. Earlier on May 14 (Wednesday), BSF had recovered a pistol, a drone, and a packet of suspected heroin in three separate incidents along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. The recoveries were made based on reliable intelligence inputs from the BSF intelligence wing.

According to the BSF, the first recovery occurred at around 8:15 am near village Mahawa in the Amritsar district. Troops conducting a search operation recovered one pistol along with a magazine from a harvested field. The firearm was wrapped in yellow adhesive tape, with two illuminating strips also attached to it. In another incident, a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone was recovered at around 11:20 am from a harvested field near the village of Metla in the Gurdaspur district. The drone is suspected to have been used for cross-border smuggling.

The BSF said the reliable input of the BSF intelligence wing and swift action of the BSF troops successfully foiled the smuggling attempt of arms and narcotics through a drone from across the border. 

Earlier, a drone was found in a field at Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district along the India-Pakistan border on Thursday, prompted the police and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel to stay alert. Villagers in the Anupgarh area spotted the drone at around 9:45 am and immediately alerted local authorities. Anupgarh Station House Officer Ishwar Jangid said he alerted the BSF and reached the spot with a police team.

The drone, approximately 5-7 feet long, was found with its camera module broken and detached. "We have seized the drone. The area is being thoroughly examined. A bomb disposal squad has also been called in as a precautionary measure," Jangid said.

The drone will be sent for forensic and technical analysis to determine its origin and purpose, he said. Sources in the security establishment said the incident is being treated as serious, given the strategic location of Sri Ganganagar on the international border. Investigators are probing whether the drone was sent from across the border or if it strayed during a military activity.

"In the backdrop of the recent hostilities between India and Pakistan, security forces are already on alert in the border areas. The presence of such an object near the frontier is a cause for concern," the SHO said. BSF personnel and police are maintaining vigil in the area, and further updates are awaited pending technical evaluation, he said.