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Why in the News
Amritsar Commissionerate Police busted three separate drug-trafficking and illegal arms-trafficking networks and arrested eight people; 11 pistols (three 9mm Glock, two .30 bore Star, one Beretta, one PX-5, three .30 bore, one country-made .32 bore), four live cartridges and 2.293 kg of heroin were recovered - Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav gave the information on 30 October 2026. According to the initial investigation, the accused were in contact with handlers sitting abroad who facilitated the supply of weapons; cases under the NDPS/Arms Act are already registered against some of the accused. Earlier, on 27 October, a separate action in Amritsar with ₹100 crore of heroin and 14 pistols and 7 arrests, and on 31 October an incident of a 10 kg heroin consignment arriving by drone also came to light.
Background
The new shape of drug networks in Punjab: drone-based cross-border consignments, foreign handlers, and the flow of weapons along with drugs (the narco-arms link). At the state level, the 'War Against Drugs' (Yudh Nashe Viruddh) campaign and coordination with central agencies (NCB/BSF) are under way. In the border districts (Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur), drone surveillance and the BSF's anti-drone capability are the main policy response. The combined use of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and the Arms Act is the standard legal framework against such networks.
Way Forward
- Supply-chain investigation: taking the investigation to the foreign handlers and identifying the origin points of drone consignments - the direction of further action.
- Technical response: expanding the BSF's anti-drone capability and making the surveillance net denser in the border districts.
- The de-addiction side: matching the 'War Against Drugs' campaign with treatment/rehabilitation capacity, so that the demand side also shrinks.
Exam Perspective
Mains (GS-III): the narco-terror/narco-arms link in internal security; the technical-legal challenges of stopping drone smuggling; the implementation balance of the NDPS Act.
Prelims: the NDPS Act, 1985, the NCB, the BSF's jurisdiction (50 km border belt), drone rules.
Mains Practice Question
"The narco-arms form of drug trafficking in Punjab is not merely a policing question of internal security, but a combined test of border management and social policy." Comment. (Write the answer in 250 words. 15 marks)
Answer Outline
Introduction: The essence of the 30 October Amritsar action - a combined drug and arms-trafficking network, foreign handlers, the background of drone consignments.
Main Body: Security dimension: the technical challenge of drone-based cross-border consignments, the handler-based international link, the possibility of terror from the flow of weapons. Beyond policing: demand reduction (de-addiction), livelihood options in border areas, the review debate of the BSF's 50 km jurisdiction, investment in anti-drone technology, the balance of the NDPS's punishment-based and treatment-based approaches. Centre-state coordination: the model of joint action by NCB/BSF/state police.
Conclusion: The long-term answer is a blend of supply disruption, demand reduction and border-area development; arrest figures alone are not enough.
Prelims Practice Questions
Question 1. With reference to the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF), consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The BSF has powers of search, seizure and arrest up to a belt of 50 kilometres from the international border.
Statement-II: In Punjab, West Bengal and Assam, this border belt can never be changed without coordination with the states.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct
(b) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is not correct
(c) Statement-I is not correct, but Statement-II is correct
(d) Neither Statement-I nor Statement-II is correct
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (b) - The BSF has powers in the 50 km belt from the border (raised from 15 to 50 km in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam in 2021); the Central Government can change this limit by notification, so Statement-II is wrong.
Question 2. With reference to the Amritsar action of 30 October 2026, which statement is correct?
(a) Three networks were busted, 8 arrested, 11 pistols and about 2.3 kg of heroin recovered
(b) A single network was busted, only heroin was recovered, no weapons
(c) The action was limited to a drone consignment, there were no arrests
(d) The action was carried out by the BSF on the international border, the police had no role
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (a) - Amritsar Commissionerate Police busted three separate networks and arrested 8 people; 11 pistols, four cartridges and 2.293 kg of heroin were recovered (Punjab DGP, 30 October 2026).
Sources
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