New Delhi: A detailed analysis of drones intercepted by the Border Security Force (BSF) over the last four years has revealed that nearly 75% of cross-border drones flying into India originated from Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab province and were downed in Amritsar.
According to official data, 251 transborder drone sorties were recorded, of which 184 were shot down in Amritsar. Additionally, 42 drones intercepted in Ferozepur district were traced back to Narowal and Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Forensic Analysis and Growing Threat
To counter the rising threat of drone-based smuggling and incursions, the Indian government established a forensic laboratory in New Delhi in 2022. This lab analyzes key data such as flight paths, speed, and the launch and landing coordinates of intercepted drones. In May 2024, another forensic lab was set up in Amritsar to enhance investigations into drone activity along the border.
Since 2022, the New Delhi forensic lab has examined data from 307 drones, including 284 brought down by the BSF. Meanwhile, the Amritsar lab has processed information from 194 drones, with the BSF accounting for 190 of them.
Security agencies have identified drone-based narcotics, arms, and ammunition smuggling as one of the biggest security challenges facing Punjab’s border districts in recent years.
Sharp Rise in Drone Activity Since 2020
Drone incursions have surged dramatically since 2020, as reflected in BSF’s interception records:
- 2020-2021: Only one drone was shot down in two years.
- 2022: The number rose to 22.
- 2023: A significant jump to 119 drones intercepted.
- 2024: The highest so far, with 304 drones downed.
Punjab at the Center of Cross-Border Drone Operations
Sources in the Punjab Police and BSF confirm that drones have become a primary method of smuggling narcotics and ammunition for Pakistan-based terror groups.
Investigations suggest that terror operatives use narcotics as currency—low-level operatives receive drug consignments as payment for handling weapons deliveries from across the border.
A forensic analysis of drones intercepted in Punjab during 2024 found that 230 sorties were conducted to drop contraband in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Ferozepur:
- Amritsar: 184 drone sorties—every single one originating from Lahore.
- Ferozepur: 42 sorties.
- Gurdaspur: 14 sorties.
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Terror Links and Rising Attacks on Security Forces
The increasing use of drones has also coincided with a rise in grenade and IED attacks on Punjab Police in border districts like Amritsar.
A BSF official told the media (as reported by “The Print”):
“These drones have become a real menace over the last four years after the Covid pandemic. Numerous consignments of arms, ammunition, and narcotics have been dropped. All of this is orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror operatives with active support from the Pakistan establishment.”
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In January 2025 alone, the BSF intercepted 63 drones—a significant number compared to the 286 drones recovered and analyzed last year, accounting for approximately 25% of 2024’s total drone interceptions.
A Punjab Police source revealed:
“There have been at least 11 incidents where police establishments were attacked with grenades and explosives. Every arrested suspect turned out to be a low-level operative, paid just a few thousand rupees to execute attacks under instructions from handlers based in Pakistan or other countries, using encrypted communication apps.”
