Article by Dr Rashi Randev
As of September 2026, Punjab’s 553-km international border with Pakistan remains one of the most active corridors for drone-based smuggling of heroin, weapons, and explosives. In response, Punjab Police and the Border Security Force have built a coordinated, technology-driven second line of defence that officials describe as “hawai nakas”- aerial checkpoints designed to detect, track and disrupt hostile unmanned aerial vehicles before consignments reach collectors on the ground.
The core of the Punjab Police effort consists of 9 anti-drone systems. Three Baaj Akh (Hawk’s Eye) units have been operational since August 2025 in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ferozepur. These systems provide early detection and jamming. In early September 2026, three additional long-endurance mobile platforms, the ‘Drone Sense D200 Pro’, were deployed at strategic locations in the border districts. Together, the systems cover the most vulnerable 210-km stretch running through Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, and Amritsar Rural – the belt that historically accounts for most incursions. The initial three systems were installed at a cost of approximately ₹53 crore after joint site selection with the BSF, Army, and intelligence agencies.
Detection relies on a fusion of sensors: radar, electro-optical, and infrared cameras and radio-frequency analyzers. Once a drone is acquired, operators receive real-time data on altitude, speed, and coordinates. In high-activity periods, agencies have recorded 8-15 detections in a single day. Newer Pakistani platforms often incorporate frequency-hopping and a “return-to-home” fail-safe. When jamming interrupts the control link, many drones abort the mission and fly back across the border rather than complete the drop. Soft-kill jamming remains the primary method of neutralization; hard-kill options exist but are used less frequently.
The aerial layer is backed by a dense ground grid. 52 Drone Response Teams comprising 147 personnel work in close coordination with BSF units. When an alert is generated, teams move to the predicted drop zone, search fields, and intercept collectors. They are supported by 64 second-line defence nakas manned by around 600 personnel and a network of 2,367 CCTV cameras at 585 locations.
Nineteen of the nakas are jointly operated with the BSF and aligned with border outposts. Village Defence Committees in the border villages have been formally integrated as an additional source of real-time information. In mid-September 2026, Punjab Police added another element: its own surveillance drones at identified hotspots in Amritsar district. These platforms monitor both aerial activity and the movement of suspected receivers entering villages after a drop, closing the gap between detection in the air and interdiction on the ground.
The results are visible in recovery figures. Between 2025 and 27 July 2026, security forces recovered 474 drones and ~777 kg of heroin along the Punjab border. In 2025 alone, 316 drone activities were recorded, 313 drones recovered and 385.119 kg of heroin seized. The first seven months of 2026 saw 161 drones recovered and ~392 kg of heroin- a higher quantity in a shorter period, indicating both continued attempts and improved interception. By mid-September 2026 the cumulative recovery stood at 486 drones. BSF data for 2025 showed around 280 drones recovered by the force.
A dedicated drone forensics laboratory in Amritsar analyses flight logs, launch points, and drop patterns from recovered platforms. Analysis has shown that a large share of drones entering the Amritsar sector originate from the Lahore area. The laboratory’s findings guide the placement of systems and the identification of recurring hotspots. Complementary measures include a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to each drone recovery and financial investigations that have frozen property worth more than ₹336 crore. The broader “Yudh Nashiyan Virudh” campaign has produced nearly 80,000 arrests since 1 March 2025.
Officials note that street-level availability of heroin has declined as a direct consequence of the tighter aerial and ground grid. The architecture- radar and RF sensors in the air, rapid-response teams and village networks on the ground, and forensic mapping of patterns have raised the cost and risk of every attempted drop. Coverage continues to expand, with additional systems planned and closer integration between Punjab Police drones and BSF assets. The combination of technology, manpower and community participation now forms a continuous shield along one of India’s most challenged borders.
