Police recover half-burnt drone used for smuggling weapons

AMRITSAR: Two days after busting a Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) terror module, police on Tuesday recovered a half-burnt drone that was used for smuggling weapons from Pakistan.

A police official privy to the development said the recovered drone was the one that failed to fly back to Pakistan after dropping arms in the Indian territory near the Pakistan border.

On Sunday, police arrested Balwant Singh, alias Baba, alias Nihang, Akashdeep Singh, alias Akash Randhawa, Harbhajan Singh and Balbir Singh from Chola Sahib village in Tarn Taran and recovered five AK-47 rifles, along with 16 magazines and 472 rounds of ammunition; four China made .30-bore pistols along with eight magazines and 72 rounds of ammunition; nine hand grenades, five Thuraya satellite phones along with ancillary equipment, two mobile phones, two wireless sets and ₹10 lakh in fake currency from them.

“During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they burnt the drone which failed to fly back to Pakistan after dropping weapons near a border village in Tarn Taran. We immediately dispatched our team and the half-burnt drone was recovered from an abandoned field in Chabhal town,” a senior police official involved in the investigation said.

The drone has been sent to a forensic lab to ascertain how unmanned aerial vehicles are being used to smuggle drugs and weapons despite a radar system at the border, he said. Experts say a drone can carry two AK-47 rifles.

“The accused received arms and ammunition near Rajoke village, which is stone’s throw from the border fence, between August 23 and September 12,”an official of the counter intelligence wing of Punjab Police, which has busted the module, said.

Punjab director general of police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta, who was in Amritsar on Tuesday to attend a function, told newsmen that they are at the preliminary stage of investigation. “The accused are being interrogated to ascertain where the arms and ammunition were to be used. We are collecting evidences,” he said.

Reports of drones dropping weapons into the Indian territory and returning undetected to Pakistan have already set the alarm bells ringing for the Border Security Force (BSF) and national security agencies.

Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has already urged the Union government to direct Indian Air Force (IAF) and BSF to launch measures to check any further threat from drones to the border state of Punjab.

Director general of police Dinkar Gupta said the module was backed by Pakistan-based chief of KZF Ranjeet Singh, alias Neeta, and his Germany-based associate Gurmeet Singh, alias Bagga, alias Doctor, who had re-organised the terror group to revive terrorism in Punjab.

Another official said that 20-year-old Akashdeep was in contact with KZF chief Neeta through social media apps. He used to send locations to Neeta for receiving contrabands. “Neeta was also smuggling fake Indian currency through drones. As per our investigation, Neeta was further in contact with Gurmeet,” he said.

SENT TO FORENSIC

LAB TO KNOW HOW IT MANAGED TO ENTER THE INDIAN TERRITORY WITHOUT BEING DETECTED