📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Lithograph by Louis and Charles Haghe after a draw
Crime
Pakistani Drug Traffickers Use Sutlej River to Ship Narcotics into India During Monsoon
✍️ Amar Ujala · Punjab
🗓 27 Aug 2026, 07:02 AM
👁 3
Authorities say Pakistani drug smugglers exploit the fast‑flowing Sutlej River during the monsoon to move narcotics into India, using the river’s breadth as a shield against detection.
Indian law‑enforcement agencies have reported that Pakistani drug networks are channeling narcotics across the border by floating shipments down the Sutlej River. The tactic gains momentum during the monsoon season when the river swells and its rapid flow masks the movement of contraband.
Investigators note that the wide, turbulent waters create a natural security blanket for smugglers, reducing the likelihood of interception by patrols or surveillance teams. Packages are reportedly sealed in waterproof containers and released upstream, allowing them to drift into Indian territory.
Police officials in Punjab have heightened river‑bank monitoring and are coordinating with maritime units to track suspicious activity. The crackdown aims to curb the surge in drug inflow that coincides with the rainy months, when the river’s conditions favour such illicit operations.
Investigators note that the wide, turbulent waters create a natural security blanket for smugglers, reducing the likelihood of interception by patrols or surveillance teams. Packages are reportedly sealed in waterproof containers and released upstream, allowing them to drift into Indian territory.
Police officials in Punjab have heightened river‑bank monitoring and are coordinating with maritime units to track suspicious activity. The crackdown aims to curb the surge in drug inflow that coincides with the rainy months, when the river’s conditions favour such illicit operations.