Chandigarh/Ferozepur
 
A major cross-border narcotics smuggling attempt was foiled in Ferozepur with the recovery of 44.5 kg heroin and three kg methamphetamine, commonly known as ICE, from fields near Gajniwala village along the India-Pakistan border. The consignment had been airdropped from across the border using a drone, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday.
 
The recovery was made during a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) conducted by Counter Intelligence (CI) Ferozepur and the Border Security Force (BSF), following specific intelligence inputs about suspicious drone movement in the border area.
 
DGP Yadav said the operation was part of the ongoing drive to make Punjab drug-free and that further investigation was underway to trace the entire cross-border network, including its handlers and Indian associates.
 
IGP Counter Intelligence Ashish Choudhary said a reliable source had alerted the police about drone activity near the Indo-Pak border in the Gajniwala area. The Ferozepur police immediately shared the pinpointed information with the BSF, following which joint teams launched a combing operation in the surrounding fields.
 
A thorough search led to the recovery of the heroin and ICE consignment, he said.
 
The investigation is now focused on identifying those who sent the drugs from across the border as well as the Indian-based persons who were supposed to receive them. Officials are also probing the forward and backward linkages of the smuggling network.
 
A FIR dated August 25, 2026, has been registered against unknown persons under Sections 21C and 29 of the NDPS Act at the Police Station, State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Fazilka.