DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

In view of the coming Lok Sabha polls, Special Director General of Police Arpit Shukla on Thursday chalked out a strategy with the Border Security Force (BSF) to further strengthen the second line of defence and break the supply chain of drugs from across the border.

He held a joint coordination meeting with BSF Inspector General (Punjab Frontier) Atul Fulzele and senior officers of CRPF, ITBP, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and other central agencies to review security arrangements in the state's border areas and discuss matters pertaining to the parliamentary elections 2024, according to a statement.

Giving a call for greater synergy and teamwork between the BSF and Punjab Police, Shukla exhorted both forces to work as one team to ensure free and fair elections in the state.

He said being positioned at the first line of defence, the BSF needs to be more alert to prevent smuggling and infiltration bids by militants, terrorists or smugglers, the statement said.

He also ordered to increase the number of police personnel deployed on night patrolling along the International border, it added.

The Special DGP advised the BSF to use drone detection technology to counter the suspicious drone operations at Punjab borders, which have over time emerged as the modus operandi to smuggle drugs from across the Indo-Pak border, according to the statement.

He also directed all the district police chiefs of border districts to conduct regular meetings with village level defence committee (VLDC) members and sensitise field staff to keep a strict vigil on the movement of drones.

There were 325 drone sightings across the border in 2023, of which 118 drones were successfully recovered. Similarly, 26 drones have been recovered in 2024 so far, the statement said.

Sharing details on security arrangements for the coming Lok Sabha elections, Shukla said security has been beefed up across the state and Punjab Police has mobilised 75 per cent of district police and 50 per cent force from other units for deployment during elections.

He said police have already laid well-coordinated strong inter-state checkpoints at the points of 10 border districts in the state to stop the menace of liquor and drug smuggling.

The 10 inter-state border districts include Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Ropar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.

He said 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in vulnerable districts of the state to instil confidence among the general public as well as to dominate sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas in the state.
(editor@dailyworld.in)