A recent analysis and a presentation showed during a high-level meeting in Delhi held this month that Jammu and Kashmir has been witnessing an increase in drug cases, while Punjab was becoming a route for supplying arms and ammunition. Additionally, infiltration from the Pakistan side was now being reported from Punjab borders as well.
Not only have terrorist outfits backed by Pakistani forces changed their attack strategies, but there has also been a shift in the supply and entry routes used by them, the security grid has suspected.
According to a top-level official, Jammu and Kashmir has been consistently noticing an increase in drug-related cases, with figures rising since 2021. Official figures from the Jammu and Kashmir police show that 2,400 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act last year, compared to 1,659 cases in 2022.
“These figures are high because Pakistan is sending drugs through the Indo-Pak border in J&K. Earlier, Punjab was the preferred route where local criminals assisted drug peddlers in supplying drugs from Pakistan. However, it is suspected that the attack strategy has changed, the supply routes have also shifted,” an Additional DG-level official told News18.
On the other hand, Punjab’s borders are being used to supply arms and ammunition. Central agencies have noted that terrorists are now suspected of infiltrating from Punjab borders, although major infiltration still occurs from the J&K side. Intelligence agencies are strongly suspecting that few terrorists involved in recent attacks in Jammu area had entered from the International Border in Punjab.
In July, DGP J&K RR Swain also indicated a change in routes, stating, “Some infiltration is taking place through the borderline in Punjab, which is widely known. We have been discussing among ourselves the new methods and modus operandi they are adopting,” Swain told reporters.
During the meeting, effective measures to detect and counter tunnels on the borders were also discussed. Intelligence agencies suspect that tunnels may be used for infiltration, and operations are underway to trace them, according to a senior official from the central armed police force who attended the meeting.
This year, the BSF and Punjab Police have recovered Austrian Glock pistols, AK-47s, Chinese-made weapons, and ammunition from the international borders. The BSF is also almost daily shooting down drones carrying drugs and arms.
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