Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 10: The Border Security Force (BSF) last night foiled an infiltration attempt by two suspicious persons on the International Border (IB) at Budhwar Post in Nikowal area of Arnia sector and recovered two kilograms purified heroin valued at Rs 10 crores in the international market.
The smugglers escaped back to Pakistan after the BSF opened firing on them taking cover of thick growth of wild grass and dense vegetation.
Official sources said alert troops of BSF observed movement of two mysterious persons on the IB from Budhwar Post in Nikowal area of Arnia sector at 11 pm last night. As the intruders were heading towards the Indian side, the BSF opened firing on them. However, the intruders escaped back taking cover of grown up wild grass and thick vegetation.
Before fleeing back to Pakistan, the intruders threw two packets towards the Indian side, sources said adding that the BSF conducted searches of the area this morning and seized both packets.
Each packet contained one kilogram sophisticated heroin. The seized heroin was valued at Rs 2 crores in the international market.
The BSF today handed over the packets of heroin to Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The BSF also conducted searches in the border belt of Arnia early today but there were no trace of the infiltrators on the Indian side, which confirmed that they had escaped to Pakistan.
Sources said the consignment of narcotics had to be picked up by the smugglers on this side. However, due to alertness of the BSF, the consignment was seized. The smugglers didn’t turn up at the border after realizing that it has been seized.
Earlier also, such incidents have been reported in RS Pura sector wherein the smugglers had thrown the consignments of narcotics and Pakistani SIM cards towards this side for their Indian counterparts. However, the BSF seized the consignment well in time.
Meanwhile, police personnel of Arnia and RS Pura have started investigations on their own to find out the smugglers, who had to pick-up the consignment of narcotics on the International Border.
“There are some trans-border smugglers in Jammu, who were in touch with their Pakistan counterparts. They would be arrested only after concrete evidence was gathered about their involvement in cross-border smuggling,’’ sources said. They pointed out that the heroin is smuggled to New Delhi and Mumbai after it was received at Jammu by the smugglers from their Pakistani counterparts.
In previous cases of narcotics consignments and SIM cards thrown by Pakistani militants or smugglers from across the border in RS Pura sector, no arrests had been made as the beneficiaries of the consignments had remained untraced, sources said.
The incidents of narcotics smuggling have also been reported from the International Border in Punjab sector. Few days back, the BSF had killed three smugglers on the International Border in Punjab and recovered a large quantity of narcotics from their possession.
Follow our WhatsApp channel