Two intruders, 2 Indian aides killed; 10-kg heroin seized

BSF men inspect the body of a smuggler shot dead by them. PTI

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, February 7

Four drug smugglers were shot dead during an encounter with BSF troopers of the 191 Battalion near the Mehndipur border outpost here today.RK Thapa, DIG, BSF, said five Pakistani intruders had come up to the barbed wire fence near border pillar 165/18 at 4.30 am. “Two of them came forward and three stayed back. Their three Indian assistants also arrived to receive the consignment. The BSF jawans challenged the smugglers, who opened fire. The troopers retaliated and gunned down two Pakistani nationals and two Indian smugglers,” the DIG said.He said during a search operation, 10 packets of heroin (10 kg), two 9 mm Chinese pistols, a country-made pistol along with 54 cartridges, Pakistani currency and SIM cards were seized. Some Pakistani cigarette packets were also found. Bodies of the Indian drug peddlers had been handed over to the police to ascertain their identity. Two days ago, the BSF had seized 2 kg of heroin and arrested two Indian smugglers, Rashpal Singh and Jodhbir Singh, from Kamal Singh Wala border outpost.

4 drug smugglers gunned down by BSF near border at Tarn Taran

TWO PAK NATIONALS AMONG THOSE KILLED; 10-KG HEROIN, ARMS, AMMUNITION SEIZED

KHEMKARAN (TARN TARAN): Border Security Force (BSF) troops gunned down two Pakistani and two Indian narcotics smugglers early Sunday morning in the area of responsibility of border out post (BOP) Mehndipur Base along the Indo-Pak border.

Ten packets (approximately 10 kgs) of contraband suspected to be heroin worth ` 50 crore, arms and ammunition, Pakistani currency and SIM cards were also seized from their possession.

In a press conference, BSF inspector general ( Punjab Frontier) Anil Paliwal said at around 4.30am on Sunday, the Pakistani smugglers were to pass the heroin to their two Indian counterparts through a pipe in the border security fence.

“BSF troops of 191 battalion sensed their movement and cornered them. Finding themselves trapped, they opened fire on the troops. The BSF men retaliated, killing the smugglers,” he said.

Paliwal said ten packets of contraband , two Pakistan-made pistols, one local-made pistol ,54 live rounds of ammunition, one plastic pipe, Pakistani currency notes worth ` 270, a knife, a packet of cigarettes made in Pakistan and a SIM card of the neighbouring country were recovered from the spot.

BSF officials said the bodies of the smugglers had been handed over to the police for further investigation. The deceased were not identified till the time of filing this story. RK Thapa, deputy inspector general ( DIG) Punjab frontier, said: “T he enhanced vigil of BSF troops has once again thwarted the attempt by smugglers and anti-national elements to smuggle contra band items into India. In the future also, we will not allow them to succeed in their attempts.”