Drone shot along Punjab border last year had 'footprints' in China, Pakistan: BSF

A drone that was shot down by the Border Security Force along the India-Pakistan international border in Punjab last year had 'footprints' and was flown in China and Pakistan, a BSF spokesperson said on Wednesday quoting a forensic analysis report.

The quadcopter was downed on December 25, 2022 near the Rajatal border post in Punjab's Amritsar district.

A forensic analysis of the drone found that it flew in Fengxian district in Shanghai, China on 11.06.2022 and later it was flown from 24.09.2022 to 25.12.2022 for 28 times "within" Khanewal district of Punjab in Pakistan, the spokesperson said.

Read | Drone carrying heroin shot down near India-Pakistan border in Amritsar, 2 held

An FIR on the illegal activity of the drone and its shooting on the Indian side was filed by the Border Security Force (BSF) with the Amritsar district police last year, he said.

The BSF, that is tasked to guard the India-Pakistan border, has set up a forensic analysis laboratory for drones at a camp in the national capital.

A total of 22 drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) coming across from Pakistan were shot down by the BSF last year. All these downings took place along the International Border (IB) in Punjab.

According to official data, the drone sightings along the 2,289 km long India-Pakistan IB running along Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat have increased from 77 sightings in 2020 to 104 in 2021 and more than 311 sightings during last year. Almost 75 per cent of these sightings have been made in Punjab where drones have been majorly used by the other side to push in and drop drugs and arms.