Samjhauta train and peace bus being used for narcotics smuggling: Badal
17 Dec 2014 11:48 PM GMT
“In recent times, the use of Samjhauta Express railway link and the India-Pakistan bus service (Sada-i-Sarhard) for dispatch of narcotic consignments has increased”.
“The Samjhauta Express has been particularly vulnerable to novel methods adopted by Pakistani smugglers by shaping the narcotic contrabands as ropes and using these to tie the wagons in order to avoid detection,” Badal said in a letter to union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. He further said that the use of passengers as drug couriers and their baggage for heroin consignments has also come to notice of security agencies.
“In such a scenario, drug enforcement becomes a multi-agency effort with a prominent role of the government of India, as the Border Security Force (BSF) was responsible for guarding the international border and the customs department was responsible for enforcement, prevention and anti-smuggling work.
“The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have clearly defined preventive anti-smuggling roles,” Badal noted. Seeking the “personal intervention” of the union home minister in this regard, Badal sought that the BSF be directed to take more effective measures to deter trans-border drug flow, which transits through Punjab before reaching the international/national market.
Badal said that interrogation of arrested smugglers and other inputs have revealed “strong connections between the trans-border smugglers on the Indian and Pakistani sides”. Urging the union government to increase vigil and putting in place more stringent measures along the border, he pointed out that heroin was coming from Afghanistan via Pakistan.
“The Samjhauta Express has been particularly vulnerable to novel methods adopted by Pakistani smugglers by shaping the narcotic contrabands as ropes and using these to tie the wagons in order to avoid detection,” Badal said in a letter to union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. He further said that the use of passengers as drug couriers and their baggage for heroin consignments has also come to notice of security agencies.
“In such a scenario, drug enforcement becomes a multi-agency effort with a prominent role of the government of India, as the Border Security Force (BSF) was responsible for guarding the international border and the customs department was responsible for enforcement, prevention and anti-smuggling work.
“The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have clearly defined preventive anti-smuggling roles,” Badal noted. Seeking the “personal intervention” of the union home minister in this regard, Badal sought that the BSF be directed to take more effective measures to deter trans-border drug flow, which transits through Punjab before reaching the international/national market.
Badal said that interrogation of arrested smugglers and other inputs have revealed “strong connections between the trans-border smugglers on the Indian and Pakistani sides”. Urging the union government to increase vigil and putting in place more stringent measures along the border, he pointed out that heroin was coming from Afghanistan via Pakistan.
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