Pakistan's increased reliance on technology is making it tough for Indian security agencies to counter the threats from across the border.
India's attempts to make its air space impenetrable by installing an increased number of anti-drone systems and CCTV cameras have turned out to be insufficient in the wake of Pakistan's drone incursions which have become more technologically advanced.
According to security agencies, Pakistan has doubled the number of drones through which arms and drugs are smuggled into India.
These drones have become smaller and can fly up to one kilometer, making them harder to detect. There is a Chinese connection to this threat as well. Most of these are made in China.
The BSF troops and the Punjab Police, in a recent joint search operation, had recovered a made-in-China DJI Mavic 3 classic drone from Tarn Taran district of Punjab.
The high-end DJI Mavic 3 drone is known for its advanced imaging capabilities and flight performance. It has a 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad camera which offers great image quality and is equipped with omnidirectional obstacle sensing, which makes it possible to avoid obstacles. It has a flight time of up to 46 minutes.
Inspector-General of BSF (Punjab Frontier) Atul Fulzele, in a recent press conference, said since the beginning of the year, the security forces have seized as many as 137 drones along with 28 weapons and 160 kg of heroin. The weapons being smuggled into India included two AK rifles.
According to him, earlier the drones that Pakistan was deploying for nefarious activities had a payload capacity of 3-4 kg and, were easily seen and had a sound. However, the newer versions of the drones carry only 500 grams of weight and do not emit any sound.
“We get the exact coordinates of the point from where they had taken off. Since the drones are being flown from points very close to the IB (International Border), it indicates that their use is state-sponsored," Fulzele was quoted as saying.
He pointed out a collusion between those responsible for flying these drones into India and Pakistani Rangers as he said when Indian security agencies took up this issue with Rangers, they were always evasive.
