Drug smuggling prompts fresh mapping of frontiers

Smuggling of drugs and infiltration from Pakistan into Punjab and Rajasthan has prompted the Home Ministry to order remapping of the frontier areas along the borders of Pakistan as well as Bangladesh to identify the vulnerable spots that should be sealed.

Directions for remapping the frontiers were given to the Border Security Force (BSF) that guards both eastern and western front lines, at a high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah. The BSF was asked to physically map the borders and identify "vulnerable points" either on foot or by bike, with the help of the police force in the state.

The task force to be drawn up for the purpose includes personnel from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Customs and police.

The idea is to further strengthen the existing fencing after the vulnerable points of infiltration are identified. The Centre is working with the state governments of Punjab and Rajasthan to tackle the drug menace but the ministry sources say no foolproof strategy has been yet found to tackle the problem.

The IB has in a report noted that the InterServices Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan is operating in the border areas of Punjab and Rajasthan to look for new entry points to push the terror elements in India since it has now become difficult to intrude through the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

The IB sources also point out that the Pakistani terrorists tried to influence the Indian visitors at the Kartarpur corridor. These terrorists were spoted hiding in the area near the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Pakistan. They noted that the terrorist training camps are coming up on Pakistan side on the borders of Punjab.