The North News
Chandigarh, August 10
Punjab has become the first state to deploy and launch anti-drone systems along its international border with Pakistan under a ₹51.4 crore initiative aimed at curbing cross-border smuggling of drugs, arms and ammunition. The system was inaugurated on Saturday at the Police Lines Ground in Tarn Taran by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, joined by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
The devices, procured from the state-run Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, will form a “second line of defence” behind the Border Security Force and be positioned from Pathankot to Abohar.
The systems, capable of detecting, tracking and jamming drones, can also identify their ground control stations. Equipped with real-time mapping and automated alerts, they will be mounted on specially designed vehicles for rapid redeployment.
The state’s 553km border with Pakistan has seen a surge in drone-borne smuggling, with police seizing 283 drones in 2024 and another 137 so far this year, many carrying heroin, weapons and ammunition.
Punjab Police had not previously used such systems, pending central government approvals. A state-level standing committee studied the technology, consulted experts and conducted live field trials before procurement. Fifty officers from border districts and the BSF have already completed intensive training in operating the equipment.
The technology will be used in coordination with the BSF, Army, Air Force and other agencies, and will be updated regularly to counter evolving threats. Officials say the ADS units will also be deployed in urban areas if required.
