BSF shoots down Pakistani drone in Punjab, 10 kg heroin seized
Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 May, 2022 10:40 AM
Chandigarh, May 9 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) shot down a Pakistani drone close to the international border in Punjab's Amritsar early Monday and recovered nine yellow packets of contraband.
The weight of the heroin was found to be 10 kg with packing material.
In a tweet, the BSF said, "BSF troops foiled another smuggling attempt through Pak drone. Vigilant BSF troops fired at the drone coming from Pak and brought it down. Drone carrying 9 packets suspected to be heroin (10.670 kg) in a bag were also recovered."
The troops sounded an alert.
Punjab shares a 553-km barbed-wire fenced international border with Pakistan which is under the vigil of nearly 135 BSF battalions. The drug network operates along the Afghanistan-Pakistan-India route.
The farmers have been on agitation since August 20 by blocking the Delhi-Amritsar national highway near Jalandhar, along with the rail tracks, over their demand for raising the SAP of sugarcane. They have already rejected the hike of Rs 15 per quintal announced by the government last week.
Indian defence forces have employed the best equipment available in the country to locate the wreckage, which includes remotely operated underwater vehicles, handheld navigation system with sonar, side scanner sonar with echo sensor and portable transducer, divers propulsion vehicle, multi-beam sonar and submarine rescue unit of the India Navy, an official statement said.
The convicts are Shaik Showkath, 35, Mohd Khalid, 22, Mohd Afroz, 20, Abdul Salman Khan, 20, Shaik Salman, 22, and Mujahid Khan, 20. They are all residents of New Hafeezpet, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
A Northern Railway spokesperson said that due to farmers agitation in Ferozpur division of Punjab, it has cancelled 68 train including two Vande Bharat and Rajdhani each, four Shatabdi Express, one Duranto, and two Janshatabdi Express trains.
According to police, the robbers, coming out of the Amruth Gold and Silver shop after the crime, saw Chandru approach and opened fire at him, fearing he may try to apprehend them or alert the public. One of the bullets hit Chandru on the head and he died on the spot.
The Vigilance Bureau arrested Saini, who retired in June 2018, for cheating, forgery and other offences under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act on Wednesday.