Chandigarh, Dec. 3 -- The Border Security Force (BSF) has identified key hotspots along the Pakistan border in Punjab from where rogue drones are frequently used to smuggle weapons and narcotics into India. A new integrated system to curb the drone menace is being installed along the border. During a press conference, BSF Western Command Additional Director General (ADG) Satish S Khandare said the force has begun deploying anti-drone systems on a massive scale across Punjab and Jammu to curb the growing drone infiltration threat. "Alongside this, an anti-tunnelling system is being implemented in Jammu to prevent cross-border smuggling of arms and drugs," he said. Khandare said that this year so far, the Western Command has seized over 380-kg heroin, more than 200 weapons, detected 278 rogue drones and apprehended 53 Pakistani intruders and smugglers. The ADGP said the BSF has set up a dedicated drone forensic laboratory in Amritsar, where each recovered drone is analysed for its flight path, number of sorties and possible drop points. "Based on these analyses, we have identified major hotspots-primarily in Punjab and some in Rajasthan. Our analysis has revealed that drone patterns have changed significantly since 2019, when they were first detected being used for drug smuggling in Punjab. Now smaller, cheaper drones are being used for smuggling," said Khandare. He said the BSF was working in tandem with Punjab Police to curb drone threats. "We have even provided our experts to the Punjab government to help them install the state government's anti-drone technologies," he said. He also said that the size of consignments has reduced. A drone usually carries around 500 grams of heroin or a pistol and dropping is generally done far inside the fence. "The emergence of frequency-hopping drones, which constantly change their communication frequency, has made detection more challenging. However, the anti-drone technologies are also evolving simultaneously and we are coming up with more such technologies," said the ADGP. Khandare admitted that waterlogging prevented access to certain stretches of the border and created vulnerabilities. "Fencing around 65 km-was damaged. Attempts were made by anti-national elements to exploit these gaps," he said. The BSF and the Punjab Police later recovered a large number of weapons during joint search operations in the affected areas as the forces sitting along the border tried their best to use the occasion for smuggling, he said. Khandare said the BSF is using a mix of indigenous technologies, including radars, electro-optical/infrared cameras, and radio frequency analysers, to detect, track and neutralise cross-border drones....