Anyone picking up drone-dropped items is India’s biggest enemy, will be booked: J&K DGP

SAMBA: Describing drone-dropped items like weapons, narcotics and money from across the border as a “new challenge”, Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police RR Swain on Sunday said anyone coming to pick them up is the biggest enemy of the nation and will be booked for treason and terrorism.

Talking to media persons in Samba, he said that if anyone picking up drone dropped weapons is arrested, then they will be “degraded and disincentivised” in accordance with law.

“We consider anyone coming to pick up the weapons, ammunition, explosives, narcotics or money (dropped by drones) as the biggest enemy of the country and those caught accused will be booked for treason and terrorism of the highest level,” he added.

Referring to a meeting in the Ministry of Home Affairs, the DGP said that it was conveyed at the highest level of authority that there are a lot of people who can work as eyes and ears because conventional methods like air defence systems do not pick up the movement of drones given the device’s technology.

“The drone intrudes stealthy like a rat. We want a system in place at the police station and police post level with a focus to respond as quickly as possible on hearing about it (drone movements).” He added this system should trace and intercept these drones apart from gathering intelligence to determine exactly when it is air-borne.

While security along the border is tight, attempts were being made from across it to disturb peace in the UT, he said.

Describing these as an “emerging trend”, the J&K Police chief said that in the recent past tunnels were dug at many places to send militants and weapons. “Now drones are a new challenge,” he pointed out, adding that “planning and strategy is needed to counter these challenges”.

Pointing out that sweeping statements don’t say anything about the real situation, he said a challenge was being faced and a combination of intelligence, investigation, area domination and people’s cooperation should make “their work so difficult that they will understand it is of no use”.

When asked about the spurt in militant violence in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, Swain said, “Operational strategy does not allow revealing the number of active militants.”

“We do not talk about the numbers because it doesn’t say anything about the situation. Even two persons can carry out a major incident,” he added.

He said the people play a major role in countering such types of challenges. He added that active cooperation was underway with security agencies to fight militancy.

“Security forces are getting dozens of inputs from people in Rajouri-Poonch areas. People have themselves caught hold of militants.”