“Suspects who were supposed to retrieve the consignment have been identified, and raids are being conducted to nab them,” he said.

A case, FIR No. 322 dated December 22, 2025, has been registered under Sections 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station ANTF.

Sources said that since December 1 this year, the BSF has recovered around seven drones and 24 kg of heroin along the international border. With this, the total number of drone recoveries this year has risen to 279, while heroin seizures have reached approximately 400 kg.

The small, low-flying drones, equipped with GPS-enabled drop mechanisms, are launched from Pakistan, often flying at night and returning within minutes. It is believed that many drones may have returned after successfully airdropping consignments of heroin, arms and ammunition.

Sources said Pakistan-based drug syndicates and terror modules deliberately time their operations to coincide with periods of heavy fog, which usually last from late evening until well into the afternoon.

The reduced visibility creates favourable conditions for cross-border infiltration and drone-based smuggling, hampering normal surveillance.

Despite the challenging weather conditions, surveillance along the border has been significantly strengthened. Foot patrols have been enhanced, monitoring from observation towers has been intensified, and trained sniffer dogs have been deployed along the border fence and approach roads.

These dogs, specially trained to detect narcotics and explosives, play a crucial role in identifying hidden consignments and tracking smugglers attempting to exploit foggy conditions.

In many cases, drones have been intercepted and their payloads recovered before reaching their intended receivers, sources said.