Anti Drug Cabinet Sub-Committee takes trial of Anti Drone Technology to combat trans border drug smuggling

Punjab News: The Chairman of the cabinet sub-committee formed to run campaign ‘Yudh Nashe de Virudh’, Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday announced that the Punjab Police would soon be equipped with cutting edge Anti-Drone Technology to intercept transborder drug smuggling under the decisive war launched by the Punjab Government against the menace of drugs.

The announcement follows a demonstration event organized by the Punjab Police at PCA Stadium, Mullanpur, where three companies from public and private sector showcased their cutting-edge anti-drone solutions. The event was attended by Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora, Director General of Police, Punjab Gaurav Yadav, and a number of senior civil and police officials.

Addressing the media on this occasion, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that all the three companies had demonstrated their cutting-edge technology designed to counter drone-based cross-border smuggling of narcotics, arms, and explosives at the challenging border with Pakistan. He that the anti-drone technologies showcased included portable, mobile, and stationary solutions, each capable of intercepting drones at varying distances. He said that these technologies are designed to disrupt the drone movement thus breaking the cross-border drug supply chain. He said that this initiative would significantly strengthen the state government’s Yudh Nashian Virudh Campaign aimed at eradicating the scourge of drugs.

Expressing gratitude towards Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for authorizing the acquisition of the latest anti-drone technology from both public sector undertakings and private firms, Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Punjab Police experts, in consultation with central security agencies, would soon finalize the procurement of the most effective systems.

Meanwhile, responding to a media query, Punjab Cabinet Minister and state President of the Aam Aadmi Party, Aman Arora, said that it is the primary responsibility of the Union Government to halt cross-border smuggling of drugs and arms, as the 50-kilometer area along the international border falls under the jurisdiction of the BSF, however, their past efforts have not yielded 100 percent success. He said that the aim of this initiative is to further strengthen the state’s second line of defence to effectively counter the nefarious designs of cross-border terrorism, particularly narco-terrorism.

He highlighted that the state has launched a comprehensive 360-degree action plan against drug traffickers and assured that there would be no shortage of funds to ensure the safety and security of the people of Punjab. He added that the campaign to eradicate the drug trade has been launched in line with the vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal.