The Border Security Force (BSF) has sought deployment of additional battalions along the Punjab border with Pakistan, saying it is necessary to stop drones carrying narcotics and ammunition. The BSF currently has about 20 battalions to guard the more than 500-km-long border of Punjab with Pakistan. Of these, 18 are actively deployed along the border, while the rest have been deployed in view of the requirements of the Attari Integrated Check Post in Amritsar and the Kartarpur corridor at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district.
The senior police officer said that the drone threat that started around 2019-20 on Punjab’s border with Pakistan remains high in Amritsar and Tarn Taran border districts. He said that another BSF battalion has been sought to better secure the Punjab border. He said that this is being considered by the Union Home Ministry. BSF Punjab Frontier Inspector General Atul Fuljele had recently made a big statement. He said that instead of land route, drugs from the Pakistani border are now being sent to Punjab by air through drones.
More than 120 drones were recovered this year
According to official figures, more than 120 drones have been recovered by security agencies so far this year. During the year 2023, 107 such drones were seized. According to officials of Punjab and Delhi, the BSF wants to deploy more personnel for effective security of the river areas on the Punjab border. 48 culverts are being constructed on the Ravi and Sutlej rivers on the Punjab border, out of which 25 have been completed. Another official said that sewage gates and locks have been installed in the drains. These are regularly checked by the BSF patrol team. He said that the deployment of an additional battalion will provide about 800-900 personnel for better security of this front.
