Rajasthan: 7 Kg of suspected RDX, Turkish pistols seized near India-Pakistan border; 2 arrested
Two Punjab residents were arrested after security agencies intercepted a consignment of suspected RDX weighing 7 kg, two Turkey-made Zigana pistols and nearly 650 cartridges near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district. Police said on Tuesday that the men were allegedly at the spot to retrieve weapons and explosives delivered by a drone.
The consignment was dropped in three packets in a field near a canal in the 12 KND area of Rawla Mandi, approximately one kilometre from the Khanuwali border post. According to security agencies, the drops took place between midnight and 2 am on Tuesday. Acting on information received by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), officials from the task force, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the police conducted a joint operation, during which the two men were caught collecting the packets. Both accused are from Punjab, one from Jalandhar and the other from Ferozepur.
ANTF Inspector General Vikas Kumar said the suspects had been under surveillance for the past month as part of Operation Seemadkantak. According to Kumar, the drone made three trips to deliver the consignment in separate parts. The arrested men are being questioned to establish their links to the operation, while the police and Army remain on alert, he said.
A search of the recovered packets revealed two Turkey-made pistols, four magazines and around 650 cartridges in two of them. The third packet contained suspected explosives, four pairs of batteries and two remote controls. Kumar said investigators were examining the wider network behind the consignment, including who had arranged the delivery and what the materials were intended for. He described the arrested men as key links in the suspected network.
Teams from Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner and Jaipur have joined the investigation alongside border security agencies. Authorities are continuing searches and have increased security in the surrounding area.
The latest recovery comes amid a series of seizures involving drugs and weapons allegedly smuggled by drones across Rajasthan’s western border earlier this year. Sri Ganganagar police records show that more than 4 kg of heroin was seized in January, followed by 10 kg in March, 12 kg in April, 1.5 kg in May and 10 kg in August.
Drone-based smuggling poses growing challenge: DGP
Rajasthan Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar Sharma said the use of drones to smuggle contraband was becoming an increasing challenge. He said greater police vigilance had resulted in more recoveries, while joint drills with the BSF were being conducted to improve preparedness. The Army and BSF were also working to reinforce anti-drone systems along the international border, Sharma added.
