BSF demands extra battalion to combat cross-border drug-smuggling

The Border Security Force (BSF) has requested the Union home ministry to deploy an additional battalion to strengthen its efforts against the increasing threat of cross-border drones carrying drugs and ammunition and to curb infiltration along the Punjab segment of the India-Pakistan border, according to sources.

The BSF at present deploys around 20 battalions to guard the 500-kilometre-long border, with 18 battalions actively positioned along the frontline. The remaining units are stationed at the Attari integrated check post in Amritsar and the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district.

The drone threat, which emerged around 2019-20, is particularly severe in the border districts of Amritsar and Tarn Taran. A senior BSF officer confirmed that the request for an additional battalion is under “active consideration” by the union home ministry. Atul Fulzele, Inspector General of BSF’s Punjab Frontier, highlighted the shift in drug smuggling methods, with most drugs now being transported into Punjab via drones rather than land routes. Official data reveals that security agencies have recovered over 120 drones along this border so far in 2024, surpassing the 107 drone seizures made in all of 2023.

In addition to bolstering border security, the BSF aims to enhance its presence in riverine areas along the Punjab front, where construction is underway on 48 culverts over the Ravi and Sutlej rivers.

These culverts, equipped with sewage gates and locks, are regularly monitored by BSF patrols. An additional battalion would add approximately 800-900 personnel to BSF’s operational strength, improving surveillance and response capabilities. The force is also seeking more personnel for its intelligence (G branch) operations, which currently cover a 50-kilometre area from the border.

This branch has been instrumental in recovering drones and coordinating with local police and central anti-narcotics agencies to dismantle drug syndicates.

A BSF commander noted the positive response from locals in border areas, who have provided valuable information about drone activity and drug trafficking. In recognition, cash rewards have been distributed to informers in around 50 cases. BSF has also shared the identities of approximately 75 drug smugglers and suspects with the police.

Furthermore, BSF is raising a mounted unit of horse-riding women troops to patrol the front, mirroring the duties of their male counterparts. Recently, it reinforced its presence along the Punjab-Jammu border by deploying additional troops in Gurdaspur to prevent terrorist infiltration from the India-Pakistan border into Jammu via Punjab.