Chandigarh, Dec. 31 -- Punjab has witnessed a five-fold surge in cross-border arms smuggling since the Operation Sindoor in May this year, director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday.

In a year-end interaction with Hindustan Times, the state police chief said this year, more than 400 arms consignments were pushed into Punjab, mostly through drones, from Pakistan, marking nearly a five-times increase compared to last year.

He said a new trend has emerged in which drones are being used to drop one-kilogram heroin consignments along with one or two Glock pistols or grenades. These weapons are later handed over to youth in Punjab by organised networks to carry out crimes and project the state as disturbed. "Many drone drop...