The Punjab government will deploy an anti-drone system by September or October to check the smuggling of narcotics and weapons through unmanned aerial vehicles from Pakistan, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Monday.
Addressing reporters here, the DGP said the testing of the anti-drone system has been completed.
“We have conducted tests of the anti-drone system at the Indo-Pak border and our officers have also held meetings with the Ministry of Home Affairs in this regard. By September or October, Punjab will install the anti-drone system on the second line of defence, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF),” he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state had said last month that it would take the help of anti-drone technology to check the smuggling of narcotics, arms and ammunition from across the border.
Yadav further said that 5,500 home guards will soon be recruited.
The state government had earlier announced that 5,500 home guards would be recruited as part of the efforts to strengthen the second line of defence at the international border.
The DGP said the Punjab government is also examining a proposal to set up exclusive NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) courts in the state.
“We have requested the government to set up 30 exclusive NDPS courts. After taking concurrence of the high court, the government will spend Rs 22.8 crore annually on setting up these courts. The proposal is under active consideration,” he said.Regarding the ongoing anti-drugs drive in the state, the DGP said since March 1, a total of 4,659 FIRs have been registered under the NDPS Act and 7,414 people arrested.
He said 297 kg of heroin, 10,000 kg of poppy husk, 153 kg of opium, 95 kg of ganja, 21.77 lakh tablets and Rs 8 crore in cash have been seized.
Yadav said police have identified 755 drug hotspots in the state.
On recent seizures of explosives and ammunition, the officer lashed out at Pakistan, saying the neighbouring country is indulging in a proxy war.
“Pakistan is trying to bleed India by a thousand cuts and we have given a befitting reply to it. We have busted all the networks. If any incident took place, we traced it, made recoveries. We did not allow their evil designs to succeed,” he said.
