Amritsar: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including an AK rifle, 25 pistols and a bulletproof jacket, in a recovery that has exposed the scale of efforts by Pakistan-based handlers and their local associates to push weaponry into Punjab.The recovery of a bulletproof jacket, believed to have been meant for an attacker’s protection, points to preparations for a possible terror strike, a BSF source said. The official added that such protective gear is rarely recovered in routine arms-smuggling cases.“Its presence suggests that the consignment may have been intended for an operational module and not merely for storage or distribution,” said sources.The BSF recovered one AK rifle, 25 pistols, 47 pistol magazines, a light bulletproof jacket and 368 rounds of ammunition. Sources added that an Indian national from the Harar Khurd area in the Ajnala sector was detained in connection with the recovery. Security agencies suspect that the consignment was dropped by drones from across the border. However, no drone has been recovered so far. Investigators believe the weapons were meant for distribution through a well-organised network operating in the region. Investigators are also probing the role of an Australia-based handler suspected of coordinating the network. Preliminary findings suggest that the recovered weapons were intended to strengthen sleeper cells and criminal-terror modules being activated by hostile elements across the border. Following the recovery, all the security agencies have intensified surveillance across border districts and stepped up efforts to track drone-based smuggling routes.
