Punjab: 10 kg heroin being smuggled by hexacopter drone seized

Punjab: In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police seized 10 kg heroin in two separate incidents, arresting a man and confiscating a hexacopter drone in Lopoke subdivision of Amritsar. Jagroop Singh, a resident of Dalla village, was arrested for possessing 5 kg heroin. Police also recovered two mobile phones and seized his motorcycle.

Jagroop was reportedly on his way to deliver the drugs when a police team led by SHO Amandeep Singh intercepted him following a tip-off. Upon searching, the officers found five packets of heroin. Amritsar Rural SSP Charanjit Singh said Jagroop was believed to have used a hexacopter drone with a payload capacity of 5-7 kg for smuggling. Jagroop was absconding in a criminal case earlier registered in Jalandhar. His interrogation is underway to unearth more links in the smuggling network.

In a separate case, police recovered a hexacopter drone from paddy fields in Manjh village, carrying 5 kg of drugs. The incident highlights the return of large, assembled drones such as quadcopters and hexacopters, which had disappeared from the smugglers’ ranks after several drones were shot down in early 2023 due to their easy detection. To avoid losses, Pakistan-based smugglers started using smaller, China-made drones such as the DJI Mavic, which are quieter and harder to detect. SSP Charanjit Singh confirmed a recent increase in the use of large drones, with smaller drones continuing to be used. Since January, the Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered 145 drones, including five hexacopters, four quadcopters and 120 DJI Mavic models.