Smugglers switching to smaller versions with no detectable sound
JK News Today/Agencies
Jalandhar, August 9: Inspector-General of BSF (Punjab Frontier) Atul Fulzele on Friday said the newer versions of drones coming from Pakistan side have become smaller in size, fly up to a height of 1 km and are not easily detectable.
BSF providing IELTS training to youngsters
BSF IG Atul Fulzele said various training programmes were being offered for the wards of the civilians in the border areas as part of goodwill gesture. He said mobile repair training modules were being carried out to make the youth employable
“Recently, we have opened an IELTS centre at 103 Battalion of the BSF in Amarkot. The villagers had approached us seeking free IELTS coaching for which we even hired trainers. Three girls from the area have qualified the exam,” he said
IELTS is one of the most sought after English language proficiency tests for study, migration or work abroad. An estimated 30 lakh people take the test every year
During a half-yearly briefing with the media at the BSF headquarters here, the IG said 137 drones had been seized by the force since January 1 along with 28 weapons, including pistols and two AK rifles, and 160.28 kg of heroin. The IG said land smuggling, even through underground pipes, had become negligible over the years and almost all influx of weaponry and drugs was being made via drones.
Fulzele said all drones were being tested in a drone laboratory and had been found to be Chinese with brandname Mavic. He said: “Earlier, the drones which were being flown had a payload capacity of 3-4 kg, had a detectable sound and could even be viewed visually but the newer versions of drones could carry only 500 g weight and emit no sound. For the new-age drones, we are deploying a different counter strategy as there is a higher chance of missing them.”
The officials said the use of radars for drone detection had been intensified. Fulzele reiterated that the laboratory analysis of the drones indicated that the launch pads of the drones were near the establishments of the Pakistani Rangers. “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, it indicates that their use is state-sponsored. We have taken up the matter with the Rangers at all our meetings but they have always been evasive in their response,” he said.
The IG said that the state government’s plan of installing 3,000 AI-enabled CCTV cameras along the border would help boost surveillance in a big way but the project was still under implementation. He said due to political unrest in Bangladesh, the vigil had also been stepped up in the western sector but no such activity had been noticed as of now.
The IG added that Director-General BSF would be visiting the Attari border on Independence Day where an all-women band would perform and a dog show would be organised.
