Rivers in spate, smugglers hiring professional swimmers to get consignment from Pakistan
Known as drug couriers, swimmers were paid between ₹50,000-60,000 per kg of heroin but due to the ongoing floods, the incentive has been hiked to ₹1 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh per kg of heroin, said a security agency official aware of the matter
Ferozepur
Smugglers are hiring professional swimmers to bring drug consignments from Pakistan through Sutlej, which enters Pakistan and then re-enters India at several places along the border in Ferozepur, making it ideal for anti-national elements to smuggle contraband from across the border.
Known as drug couriers, swimmers were paid between ₹50,000-60,000 per kg of heroin but due to the ongoing floods, the incentive has been hiked to ₹1 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh per kg of heroin, said a security agency official aware of the matter.
Drug cartels in India and Pakistan are exploiting flood situation to smuggle drugs into India. The police and Border Security Force (BSF) have seized 160kg of heroin from the border areas in Ferozepur and Fazilka between June 1 and August 20 with the arrest of six smugglers, including two Pakistanis, with firearms. The heroin seizure in the corresponding period last year was 40kg, according to official data.
From January till May 31 this year, the BSF and police seized 44 kg of heroin, said officials.
The release of excess water from Pong and Bhakra dams on August 14 has flooded many districts of Punjab along Sutlej and Beas. Floods in Sutlej has inundated many border villages and 15 border outposts of the BSF, besides damaging the barbed fencing on about 50km along the International Border.
“A majority of BSF personnel had no choice but to retreat approximately 500 meters from the border. This situation has provided drug traffickers an opportunity to smuggle contraband by offering incentives to couriers based in both Pakistan and India,” said an official from a security agency, requesting anonymity.
“Sleeper cells in collaboration with Pakistani drug mafia, are constantly looking for opportunities to exploit natural occurrences such as dense fog or flooding. But our forces are vigilant and capable of managing these situations effectively to thwart their sinister plans,” said Lakhbir Singh, assistant inspector general, counter intelligence, Ferozepur.
“Despite all the challenges and adversity, our jawans are maintaining 24-hour vigil. They are manning the area without caring about their personal safety. Surveillance has been heightened with the help of motorboats to prevent potential adversaries from exploiting the situation. Though the BSF posts have been submerged, personnel are performing their duty without any breaks,” said a BSF official.
In a recently held flag meeting, security agencies of both India and Pakistan also discussed the issue of spurt drug smuggling incidents in the past few weeks.
Meanwhile, in a respite to security agencies and villagers, floodwater has started receding in most of areas in Ferozepur and Fazilka due to less discharge from Harike and Hussianiwala headworks.
