2 Pak intruders shot dead near border; heroin seized

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Shahpur (Ajnala), Sept 20

In an operation involving the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), two Pakistani intruders were shot dead last night after they tried to push contraband into Indian territory.

This morning, the BSF found both bodies, besides an AK-47 assault rifle with 23 cartridges, a pistol with four bullets, 4-kg heroin, 100-gm opium, a mobile phone with a Pakistani SIM card and Pakistani currency to the tune of Rs 20,000.

Mukul Goel, BSF IG, Punjab Frontier, said there were regular inputs that Pakistan-based elements were trying to smuggle contraband into India. “We have also received reports that terrorists from groups based in the neighbouring nation may infiltrate into our territory,” he said, adding that security had been tightened.

He said the NCB gave a tip-off that smugglers may sneak in heroin and arms. Jawans noticed the suspicious movement of some persons last night. Two of them pushed a 15-ft-long plastic pipe through the electrified barbed fence. When they challenged the duo, the BSF jawans came under fire. In retaliation, they gunned them down, while their accomplices, who were hiding behind elephant grass on the Ravi riverbed, managed to escape.

Answering media queries, Goel said it could not be ruled out that the duo was trying to infiltrate.

The BSF officials promptly called a flag meeting with their Pakistani counterparts, who claimed that the intruders did not belong to their country.