Amritsar: A Pakistani drone carrying a pistol and around 500gm of heroin crashed in a parking area adjacent to the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari international border, raising security concerns as tourists were still leaving after the daily flag-lowering ceremony at the India-Pakistan border.A senior security source said the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered a Turkey-made Zigana pistol, two magazines, around half a kilogram of heroin and the damaged drone from the parking area.The flag-lowering ceremony begins at 5pm and concludes at 5.30pm. However, due to heavy tourist traffic, it can take more than an hour for visitors to reach the parking area and leave after the event. The parking area is located around 1km inside Indian territory from the international border. On some days, the number of spectators exceeds 20,000.No BSF official agreed to comment on record, citing the force’s revised media policy. However, an officer confirmed the drone crash and maintained that it had fallen outside the ICP gate due to jamming systems installed by the BSF. The officer declined to share further details.The precise cause of the crash has not been independently established. According to sources in the force, the small drones used for cross-border smuggling may deviate from their routes due to disrupted satellite-navigation signals, technical malfunction, battery failure or interruption of the communication link with their operator. Electronic jamming can also interfere with navigation or control signals, potentially causing a drone to stray from its intended path or make an uncontrolled landing. However, it remains unclear whether jamming alone caused this drone to crash.Security agencies are examining the recovered drone and its components to establish its flight path, intended destination and possible point of origin.“We are yet to confirm whether the drone was being remotely controlled from Pakistan or was following a pre-programmed route,” said a source.The incident has, however, drawn attention to the security of thousands of tourists at the Attari border, where large crowds gather daily for the retreat ceremony.
