📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Crime
Police bust Pakistan‑origin drone weapon smuggling ring in Amritsar, 17 arrested
✍️ Amar Ujala · Amritsar
🗓 19 Aug 2026, 08:03 PM
👁 1
Punjab police uncovered a network that used drones to ferry weapons from Pakistan into Amritsar, detaining 17 suspects.
Punjab police announced the seizure of a sophisticated weapons‑smuggling operation that relied on unmanned aerial vehicles to transport arms from Pakistan across the border into Amritsar. The investigation, which had been monitoring suspicious drone activity for weeks, culminated in a coordinated raid that led to the arrest of seventeen individuals linked to the network.
According to officials, the drones were equipped to carry small arms and ammunition, exploiting the porous border terrain to avoid conventional checkpoints. The illicit cargo was reportedly dropped at pre‑identified locations before being retrieved by ground operatives.
All seventeen accused were taken into custody and are being interrogated for further details about the scale of the operation and any external support. The police have indicated that the case will be forwarded to higher security agencies for a comprehensive probe into cross‑border smuggling channels.
The bust underscores growing concerns among Indian security forces about the misuse of commercial drone technology for illegal activities, prompting calls for stricter regulation and surveillance of aerial devices near sensitive borders.
According to officials, the drones were equipped to carry small arms and ammunition, exploiting the porous border terrain to avoid conventional checkpoints. The illicit cargo was reportedly dropped at pre‑identified locations before being retrieved by ground operatives.
All seventeen accused were taken into custody and are being interrogated for further details about the scale of the operation and any external support. The police have indicated that the case will be forwarded to higher security agencies for a comprehensive probe into cross‑border smuggling channels.
The bust underscores growing concerns among Indian security forces about the misuse of commercial drone technology for illegal activities, prompting calls for stricter regulation and surveillance of aerial devices near sensitive borders.