Punjab: BSF recovers heroin worth Rs 8 Cr smuggled from across border

The smuggled narcotic drug from across the border was meant for supply to peddlers in Punjab, sources said. As per a BSF spokesperson, 1 kg heroin was recovered in village Pir Ismail Khan in Ferozepur during border patrolling on Thursday afternoon.

Ferozepur: In a major breakthrough, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday claimed to have recovered heroin worth Rs 8 crore believed to have been smuggled from across the border here, said officials. Alert troops of BSF Punjab Frontier, while carrying out area domination ahead of border fence near village Peer Ismail Khan in Punjab's Ferozepur district recovered one packet of 1 kg narcotics suspected to be heroin from potato field, a BSF spokesman said in a statement on Thursday.

It is believed that the smuggled narcotic drug was meant for supply to peddlers in the state. Taking advantage of the dense fog in Punjab, Pakistani drug smugglers entered the Ferozepur border and hid the heroin worth about Rs 7-8 crores in the fields. However, the BSF team foiled this attempt by the drug smugglers from Pakistan.

The BSF personnel while patrolling in the area on Thursday afternoon, noticed footprints near the barbed wire along the border after which they alerted the troops. As it was suspicious, the BSF launched a search operation in the area. During searches, the BSF troops recovered the heroin consignment concealed in a plastic bag.

The consignment seized by the BSF has been sent for further investigation. Earlier, the BSF seized a drone and a consignment of 1 kg of heroin from the Kasowal village of Ajnala. According to the BSF officials, on the night of December 31, a suspicious drone movement was seen in Kasowala village after which the alert troops shot down the drone.

A farmer saw the drone falling in his field, BSF officials said. The drone was badly mangled and covered in mud and was later recovered by the BSF. During the year 2022, troops of Punjab Frontier BSF detected and seized 22 drones in different incidents, 316.988 kg of heroin, 67 weapons, and 850 rounds. Besides 2 Pakistani infiltrators were also killed while 23 Pakistani nationals were arrested near the border. The BSF handed over 9 Pakistani nationals to Pak Rangers after they were caught while crossing the IB inadvertently, officials said.