Srinagar, Dec 03: The Director General of Police (DGP), R R Swain, Sunday said individuals involved in retrieving drone-dropped contraband, including weapons, narcotics, and money, would be treated as enemies of the nation.
Talking to reporters in Samba, he underscored the escalating challenge posed by drone activities originating from across the border.
DGP Swain acknowledged the tight security measures along the border areas but emphasised the persistent attempts from across the border to disrupt peace in the Union Territory.
Highlighting recent instances of tunnels being dug to push terrorists and weapons, he pointed out that the emergence of drones adds another layer of complexity to the security landscape.
Addressing the unique threat posed by drones, DGP Swain referenced a meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), where it was conveyed at the highest authority level that conventional air defence systems struggle to detect drone movements due to their stealthy and technologically advanced nature.
He advocated for the establishment of systems at the police station and police post-level to respond rapidly to drone sightings, trace their movements, and ensure swift interdiction.
“There is importance of a multi-faceted approach involving intelligence, investigation, area domination, and most crucially, the active cooperation of the public,” the police chief said.
DGP Swain urged citizens to play a significant role in countering these challenges, making their work so difficult that it becomes futile for those attempting to disrupt peace.
When asked about the growing terrorist activities in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in the Jammu region, he cautioned against making sweeping statements, emphasising the operational secrecy that surrounds revealing the number of active terrorists.
“Even a small number of individuals could carry out a major incident, and efforts are ongoing to counter disruptive activities from across the border,” DGP Swain said.
Citing the example of Rajouri-Poonch belt, DGP Swain said dozen of people were providing inputs to police regarding any suspicious movement. Even at some places, people trapped terrorists and later informed security forces.
Despite acknowledging the persistent challenges, he expressed confidence that with planning, strategy, and the active involvement of the public, the security forces can effectively address and overcome the threats posed by terrorism and cross-border drone activities in the region.
Regarding the numbers of terrorists active in Kashmir, DGP said numbers are not important, even 2 persons can pose a security threat. We cannot access any situation with numbers.
“Although to fight terrorists is a challenge and we need proper planning to address the situation. When these challenges occur, people have to play crucial role,” he said.
“Continuous efforts are underway from across the border as we are border states and that cannot be changed for us, ” he said.
DGP Swain said in the past tunnels were the challenge, now drones are the emerging a biggest challenge and we need to overcome this by with intelligence.
