The hum is nearly inaudible. Sometimes, there’s no sound at all. But what these flying objects carry is anything but quiet—drugs, pistols, grenades, and fear. The India-Pakistan border, especially the stretch touching Punjab and Rajasthan, has witnessed a dramatic shift in the methods of cross-border infiltration and smuggling. What was once primarily a land-based problem has now taken flight—literally.
Chinese-made drones, many of them operated from Pakistan’s Lahore, Narowal, and Kasur districts, have become the new workhorses of narco-terror networks. The Border Security Force (BSF), India’s frontline defense along the western border, is now grappling with a technological menace that’s cheap, effective, and difficult to intercept.
In January 2025 alone, the BSF intercepted 63 drones. Compare that to 2023, when 110 drones were recovered over the entire year. In 2024, the number shot up to 260—a 136% increase in just one year. These figures are more than statistics—they reflect a surge in attempts to destabilize Indian border regions by flooding them with narcotics and weapons.
Most drones are recovered in Punjab—especially in the districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, and Abohar. Rajasthan’s Ganganagar district has also emerged as a hot zone. The majority of these drones originate from Pakistan’s Lahore district and are aimed directly at their Indian counterparts across the International Border (IB).
“Forensic analysis of the recovered drones showed 184 sorties from Lahore targeting Amritsar alone,” a senior BSF officer told. “Ferozepur saw 42 such drone flights, and Gurdaspur recorded 14. These aren’t random events. They’re coordinated, repeated, and increasingly sophisticated.”
For decades, smugglers relied on underground tunnels and manual couriers to transport contraband across the border. But advancements in drone technology, especially in commercial Chinese-origin UAVs like the DJI series, have made air drops faster, safer, and harder to trace.
“The old methods—tunnels, human carriers, even underground pipelines—have largely become obsolete,” the BSF officer added. “The risks are higher and the success rates lower. Drones, on the other hand, offer plausible deniability and precision delivery.”
Modern drones, especially those used in cross-border smuggling, are difficult to detect. Earlier variants had a range of 3-4 kilometers, emitted noticeable sound, and could be visually spotted. Today, they are smaller, lighter, fly at higher altitudes (up to 1 km), and are nearly silent. While their payload capacity has decreased—some now carry as little as 500 grams—the precision and frequency of their missions have increased.
And it’s not just drugs. There has been a noticeable uptick in arms and ammunition drops as well. From pistols and grenades to IED components, drones are fast becoming the favored method for rearming anti-India elements in Punjab and beyond.
On March 4, 2025, BSF troops in Amritsar intercepted a DJI Air 3S drone carrying a Glock pistol—yet another indicator of the dual-use role of these aircraft.
Some drones have been recovered multiple times, suggesting they’re being reused by operators who have perfected their flight paths. These UAVs originate near sensitive Pakistani military installations, including those of the Pakistan Rangers—a development that raises serious concerns about the complicity or at least tacit approval of state actors.
“Drone launch pads are often close to Ranger posts in Pakistan,” a BSF intelligence analyst told. “That can’t be coincidental.”
The analyst emphasized that most drones used in these operations are short-range and likely controlled by visual line-of-sight or pre-programmed GPS coordinates. That makes the drone operator’s proximity to the Indian border not just tactical but essential.
The drone menace isn’t just about narcotics or petty arms smuggling. There is a deeper, more disturbing connection—terror.
Several intercepted drones have carried RDX, grenades, and assault-grade weapons meant for operatives working in coordination with Pakistan-based terrorist groups. This aerial pipeline of terror correlates with a rise in grenade attacks in Punjab.
In just the past 20 days, there have been five grenade or IED attacks on police installations in border districts. In 2024, Punjab saw a similar wave of such attacks, clearly linking drone drops to on-ground violence.
“This isn’t random smuggling,” said a counter-terrorism official from the Punjab Police. “It’s a hybrid warfare strategy—use of criminal elements and narcotics to destabilize society, while also enabling terror operations in parallel.”
To combat this high-tech threat, India’s border forces have been scrambling to upgrade their anti-drone capabilities.
The BSF has deployed Dronaam, an anti-drone system developed by Gurutvaa Systems. The device can operate in rifle-style or backpack-mounted configurations and uses laser-based jamming to neutralize enemy drones. But that alone is not enough.
A dedicated anti-drone unit is also in the pipeline. Trials for advanced systems are ongoing. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has established the Anti-Rogue Drone Technology Committee (ARDTC), headed by the BSF Director General. Its task: identify and deploy cutting-edge technologies to plug this emerging gap in border defense.
Additionally, the BSF is working on upgrading its physical infrastructure—new designs for border fencing, more PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) and thermal cameras, and integrated surveillance systems at vulnerable points.
Even with all the technology, human eyes and ears remain crucial.
In Pathankot and other border districts, the Drone Emergency Response System (DERS) initiative has taken root. Under DERS, Village-Level Defence Committees (VLDCs) act as first responders when drone activity is spotted.
Villagers, trained and coordinated by local police, immediately notify authorities and help cordon off the area where a drone is suspected to have dropped contraband. A reward scheme of ₹1 lakh has further incentivized tip-offs that lead to successful seizures.
“This community engagement is vital,” said a senior Punjab Police official. “You can’t have a drone watcher on every inch of the border. But you can have people—alert, aware, and willing to act.”
That the drones are of Chinese origin is not surprising. China dominates the commercial drone market, and its models are widely available in Pakistan. While there’s no direct evidence of Chinese state involvement, the fact that their technology is being used to subvert Indian security cannot be ignored.
Chinese drones like the DJI Phantom, Mavic, and Air series are popular for both commercial and illicit use due to their ease of control, modular payload features, and relative affordability. Despite global scrutiny, these drones continue to flood into regions like Pakistan, where they are quickly retrofitted for non-commercial use.
India has banned Chinese-origin drones for civilian use and is building a domestic drone ecosystem, but enforcement along the western border remains an uphill task.
The pattern is clear: more drones, more drops, and more danger. India’s countermeasures are evolving, but so are the threats.
The upcoming anti-drone unit and tech acquisitions will help. So will the expansion of human intelligence and the modernization of border infrastructure. But what’s truly needed is a comprehensive, multi-layered strategy that combines real-time surveillance, advanced jamming, drone-catching UAVs, and AI-powered threat detection.
On the diplomatic front, India has consistently raised the issue with Pakistan, but given the nature of the regime and the frequent complicity of security agencies on the other side, little has changed.
For now, the skies over Punjab and Rajasthan remain a contested space—not for air superiority, but for control over what’s silently slipping across the line.
Sidebar: Key Stats on Drone Incursions
2023: 110 drones intercepted by BSF in Punjab
2024: 260 drones intercepted (+136% increase)
Jan 2025: 63 drones intercepted in one month
Most targeted Indian districts: Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Abohar (Punjab); Ganganagar (Rajasthan)
Most frequent launch points in Pakistan: Lahore (184 sorties), Ferozepur (42), Gurdaspur (14)
Success rate in neutralizing drones (Punjab): 55% in 2024 (up from 3%)
India’s western border isn’t just a line on a map—it’s an active zone of technological, ideological, and criminal conflict. The surge of Chinese-origin drones from Pakistan into Punjab and Rajasthan reflects a dangerous nexus of narco-terrorism and asymmetric warfare.
As the BSF and Indian authorities continue to adapt, the challenge remains urgent and evolving. In this new theater of conflict, silence is no longer peace—it may just be the sound of another payload dropping under the radar.
