Chandigarh, Oct 4: Operations along the Punjab frontier have led to a substantial surge in narcotics recoveries this year, with border security personnel interdicting over 850 kg of heroin originating from Pakistan. The figure marks a noticeable jump from the 415 kg recovered during the corresponding period in 2025 and 283 kg recorded in 2024. Security agencies have maintained high vigilance across the border zone despite cross-border networks continuing their reliance on unmanned aerial vehicles. Personnel recovered 182 drones up to the end of September this year, following nearly 290 drone recoveries recorded in each of the preceding two years.
In addition to heroin, security forces seized approximately 14 kg of crystal methamphetamine and 44 kg of opium along the border stretch. Crystal methamphetamine recoveries remained relatively aligned with the 21 kg seized in 2025, while opium seizures reflected a marked increase from 12 kg last year and 16 kg in 2024. Arms trafficking has similarly registered an upward trend, with personnel securing 261 weapons, including assault rifles, alongside 390 magazines over the current year, compared to approximately 200 weapons and 286 magazines recovered during 2025.
Local law enforcement authorities maintained that the incoming contraband and weaponry were directed toward criminal syndicates and illegal networks active across Punjab and neighboring regions. Border Security Force Punjab Frontier Inspector General Atul Fulzele stated that security agencies modified their operational strategies to match evolving tactics deployed by cross-border syndicates. He maintained that joint operations based on actionable intelligence have been stepped up while surveillance cover has been extended 5 to 8 km deeper into the hinterland. He asserted that anti-drone deployments, village defense committee networks, and coordinated action with state police and anti-narcotics agencies remain central to the ongoing border security framework, noting that while Amritsar and Tarn Taran remain key operational corridors, the Ferozepur sector has also observed heightened activity in recent months.
