BSF requests additional forces to combat drone threats on Punjab border

PTC News Desk: The Border Security Force (BSF) has requested the deployment of an additional battalion to tackle the increasing use of cross-border drones carrying drugs and ammunition and to prevent infiltration along the Punjab section of the India-Pakistan border.

Currently, the BSF has around 20 battalions patrolling the over 500-kilometre-long border in Punjab. Of these, 18 battalions are actively deployed along the border, while the remaining units are positioned at key locations like the Attari integrated check post in Amritsar and the Kartarpur corridor in Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur district, to meet specific security needs.

The issue of drones, which emerged around 2019-2020, has become particularly prevalent in the border districts of Amritsar and Tarn Taran. To better secure these areas, the BSF has requested an additional battalion, a senior official disclosed. The request is currently under “active consideration” by the Union Home Ministry.

Atul Fulzele, Inspector General of the BSF’s Punjab Frontier, recently highlighted that all drug trafficking from Pakistan into Punjab is now conducted via aerial drones, a shift from the earlier land routes.

According to official data, security agencies have intercepted over 120 drones along this border so far this year, compared to 107 drones seized in the entire year of 2023.

BSF officials in Punjab and Delhi have also emphasized the need for more troops to effectively patrol the riverine regions along the Punjab front. To enhance security in these areas, 48 culverts are being constructed over the Ravi and Sutlej rivers, with 25 already completed. These culverts are equipped with sewage gates and locks that are regularly inspected by BSF patrols to prevent unauthorized crossings.

The addition of a new battalion would bring an operational strength of about 800-900 personnel, enhancing the force’s capacity to secure the border, another official noted.

Furthermore, the BSF is seeking additional personnel for its intelligence (G branch) units, which currently operate within a 50-kilometre radius of the border. The deployment of G branch teams has resulted in the recovery of numerous drones and their payloads, including drugs and weapons, and has improved coordination with local police and central anti-narcotics agencies to dismantle drug trafficking networks.

A BSF commander mentioned that there has been strong support from local residents in the border areas, who have provided valuable information on drone activities and drug trafficking. Cash rewards have been given to informants in about 50 cases so far. Based on these community reports, the BSF has shared information on around 75 suspected drug smugglers and their contacts with the Punjab Police.

In addition, the BSF is developing a mounted unit of horse-riding female troops to patrol the border alongside their male counterparts.

Recently, the BSF strengthened its presence along the Punjab-Jammu border by deploying additional troops in Gurdaspur, which borders Jammu. This move aims to prevent terrorist infiltration from the India-Pakistan border into Jammu via Punjab.