In the weeks following the brutal terrorist strike in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, India’s northern frontier has been on edge. Yet, even as the Border Security Force (BSF) and allied agencies maintain a state of heightened readiness along the India-Pakistan International Border, illicit traffic in narcotics and weaponry across Punjab continues unabated.
According to BSF records, just in the month of May to date, six unmanned aerial vehicles have been intercepted carrying contraband into Indian territory. In concert with these drone seizures, personnel have confiscated 3.4 kilograms of narcotics dumped in border sectors. The force’s vigilance has also thwarted five separate attempts to smuggle firearms and explosives: officers recovered pistols alongside 2.7 kilograms of explosive material, two live grenades, and 35 rounds of ammunition.
Punjab accounts for more incidents of drone incursions and contraband interceptions than any other state along the Indo-Pakistan boundary. The BSF—tasked with managing the border in peacetime—has succeeded in keeping these numbers from growing, but the flow of illicit consignments underscores the persistent challenge of securing over 550 kilometers of frontier.
During last year’s Operation Sindoor, the BSF’s counter-unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) played a pivotal role. These systems, now fully integrated into the Indian armed forces’ broader air-defense grid, were credited with neutralizing drones aimed at both civilian and military installations. The same technology remains in active deployment as troops brace for any spillover from cross-border ceasefire violations, which have surged since the Pahalgam atrocity.
High command sources confirm that, following directives from New Delhi to retaliate for the Pahalgam casualties, every battalion along the International Border has been ordered to sustain continuous reconnaissance and interdiction patrols. Night-vision scopes and ground-monitoring radars are operating around the clock, and quick-reaction teams stand ready for any emergency. Despite these measures, the ingenuity of smugglers—often using low-cost drones under the cover of darkness—poses a formidable obstacle.
As the monsoon season approaches, security planners anticipate that smugglers will adapt their methods further, possibly exploiting rising river levels to mask incursions. For now, the BSF’s expanded surveillance footprint and enhanced drone-neutralization capabilities offer the best line of defense. But as the tally of seizures mounts, authorities warn that enduring success will depend on sustained inter-agency cooperation, intelligence-sharing, and technological innovation at the frontier.
