Synergy between BSF, Punjab police required to counter increasing threat from drones, says Punjab DGP

Gurdaspur (Punjab) [India], June 29 (ANI): Stressing on the need to carry out evidence-based and pro-active policing, the Director-General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta on Tuesday called for greater synergy between BSF and Punjab police to counter the increasing threat from drones.
Giving a call for total synergy and teamwork between BSF and Punjab Police, DGP Dinkar Gupta said that it was high time that both the elite forces should work as one team and activate the gathering of good old human intelligence by gathering and sharing real-time information.
Further, he asked the BSF officials to share sector-wise inputs of movements of suspected persons with the Punjab Police so that they can keep a sharp vigil on their activities and ensure penal action against those found involved in any criminal activity.
According to a press release, he assured total support to the Border Security Force (BSF) to counter the Drone operations at Punjab borders, which have emerged as the new threat on the National Security horizon, which the drone operations has heavily dented the security provided by the border fencing.
"It was in September 2019, that the use of drones for smuggling weapons was first established in Amritsar and since then, such flying machines AND delivery platforms are being used frequently for smuggling of drugs and weapons, and now, the terrorist attack in Jammu using a drone has become another major security concern," said DGP Dinkar Gupta adding that more than 60 drone sightings have been reported by the BSF, Punjab Police and the people of the state over the last 20 months.
The DGP was in Gurdaspur to hold a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police deployed in the Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts. Notably, in the wake of the attack at the Air Force base in Jammu through a drone on Sunday, this was the second high-level meeting presided over by the DGP in the border districts. ADGP Internal Security RN Dhoke, IG Border Range SPS Parmar and DIG BSF Prabhakar Joshi, along with about 8 BSF Commandants were among the senior officials present in the meeting.
The DGP directed the SSPs of Gurdaspur, Batala and Pathankot to list out border villages and develop a robust intelligence network by ensuring close collaboration between the Police, Public, GOG, NGOs etc in every village so that they promptly notify the Police about any criminal activity taking place in their villages.
He also directed the SSPs to increase the Police CheckPoints, especially at night, in their respective jurisdictions and ensure checking of maximum vehicles at every Naka, which will help in curtailing the terrorist and criminal activities. He also advised that all the Nakas should be synchronised in a manner that they must get activated promptly on a single call.
DGP Dinkar Gupta also ordered the SSPs to list out and take action against all the Proclaimed Offenders (POs), Bail jumpers and Absconders in the NDPS Act, Arms Act and UAPA. He also directed them to ramp up the drug recoveries.
Meanwhile, SSP Gurdaspur Nanak Singh, SSP Pathankot Surendra Lamba, SSP Batala Rachhpal Singh and AIG SSOC Opinderjit Singh Ghuman also attended the meeting. (ANI)