Pakistan trying a Saudi Aramco-like drone attack in India: Former UP DGP

To understand how the drone threats should be dealt with, ETV Bharat talked to Vikram Singh, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, who said that a state-of-the-art research centre is need of the hour to trace the drones from the ground as well as from the sky. He added that Pakistan might have got the inspiration of a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's state-run oil company Aramco's facility.

New Delhi: In yet another such incident, a Pakistani drone was spotted in Punjab by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel over Ferozepur district late on Wednesday evening.

Since September, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) dropped arms in India multiple times. To understand how the drone threats should be dealt with, ETV Bharat talked to Vikram Singh, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, who said that a state-of-the-art research centre is need of the hour to trace the drones from the ground as well as from the sky.

Vikram Singh said that government should not leave the problem only to the Border Security Force (BSF) or Indian Air Force (IAF) and all border security forces including the R&AW, Assam Rifles, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Coast Guards and IB should come together in an organised manner to chalk out a plan to trace drones.

Last month, Punjab police had said that a large number of AK-47 assault rifles, satellite phones and grenades were dropped in Punjab's Tarn Taran district by heavy-lifting drones that came from Pakistan. After this Union Home Minister Amit Shah held meeting with Director Generals (DGs) of the BSF, ITBP, SSB and the Assam Rifles-- to come out with a long term plan for the full-proof guard at the border areas under their jurisdiction.

Citing the recent drone attack on two major oil plants in Saudi Arabia, Vikram Singh said drones which are being used by Pakistan are capable of carrying a payload of almost 10 kgs of arms like AK-47, satellite phones and fake currencies. Thus, the on-ground situation is very ominous.

He added that Pakistan might have got the inspiration of a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's state-run oil company Aramco's facility. Drones made in China doesn't mean that China is helping Pakistan for drone attacks.

Former UP DGP also suggested that drones in India should be banned unless they are licensed and they should be governed that under what rules drones are flying in a given trajectory. If they cross it, they should be deemed to be an alien and shot down.

Meanwhile, Home Ministry has ordered National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the matter while National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) has been asked to work on a frequency on which these drones have been operating along the border.