India To Deploy Indigenous Anti-Drone System Along Pakistan Border To Curtail Smuggling

Along the western border of the country within six months, an in-house anti-drone system will be put in place to stop people in Pakistan from using drones to bring drugs and weapons into India. The method, which is currently being tested, gives three ways to put it into action. A top government official told the anti-drone system would be put in place along the whole western border. It could use any of the three systems or a mix of different technologies, the story said.

In terms of the eastern border, the official said that the free movement rule (FMR) along the border between India and Myanmar would soon end in order to stop the flow of illegal immigrants. Tribes living on both sides of the border between India and Myanmar can travel without a visa up to 16 km into the nearby country. But because FMR helped with illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violence between different groups in Manipur, the government wants to make visas required for Myanmar citizens coming through the land border as part of a review.

In the past few years, it has been very hard for security forces to stop weapons, drugs, and ammunition from coming into Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan using drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

BSF DG Nitin Agrawal says that from November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023, the force found and returned 90 drones. Eighty of these were found in Punjab, and nine were found in Rajasthan.

Sources in the BSF say that between 300 and 400 more drones have been seen in the past year. But because the BSF has more monitoring tools, like handheld static and vehicle-mounted anti-drone systems, it’s harder for drug smugglers from Pakistan to get away from them. Because of this, they have had to change how they do things, like taking different paths in Rajasthan because of more surveillance in Punjab. They tried to get away with it, but four drug shipments in Rajasthan were stopped because of a leak of information.

Recently, people smugglers have been using smaller drones that can carry lighter loads, usually around 750 grams. Most of these drones are made in China because they are easier to get and cheaper than ones made in Turkey or Iran.