Tarn Taran, Sept 18 — Swollen border rivers in Punjab have become conduits for narcotics and weapons smuggling from Pakistan, with traffickers using boats and tyre tubes to push consignments across despite widespread flooding on both sides. The surge in cross-border activity has coincided with four drug overdose deaths reported in Tarn Taran district this month.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police have intercepted several shipments, including what officials described as the first known case of Pakistani smugglers sending weapons by boat across the Sutlej in Fazilka. Security forces recovered 27 pistols and 470 cartridges from Mohar Jamsher village, followed by another seizure of 16 pistols and nearly 1,850 cartridges. Investigators said traffickers were paid between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000 per pistol, with delivery details shared after advance payment.
Flooding has widened the Sutlej river span by several kilometres in Fazilka, prompting increased reliance on boats. Similar tactics were documented during high water in 2003 and 2023, when smugglers floated contraband across the Ravi and Sutlej using tyre tubes and plastic bottles. Officials said consignments weighing up to 70 kg were sometimes pushed across by men who then swam back to Pakistan.
In Tarn Taran and Amritsar, the BSF was forced to vacate some forward posts due to the floods, creating further vulnerabilities along the border. Punjab Police recently seized 20 kg of contraband smuggled through tyre tubes. “Interrogation of smugglers revealed that around 30 kg narcotics were trafficked using this method in the past 15 days, of which 20 kg were seized,” a police officer involved in the probe said.
Investigators also recovered an audio recording from a smuggler’s phone in which Pakistani handlers were allegedly heard planning consignments of narcotics and weapons through the flooded Ravi and via drones.
The human toll of the drug crisis has been evident in Tarn Taran, where four men have died of overdoses this month. Victims include Nishan Singh, 27, of Chhapri Sahib, who died after injecting an oral de-addiction tablet; brothers Malkiat Singh and Gurpreet Singh of Jamarai village; and Nishan Singh, 24, of Baghiari village.
Meanwhile, Punjab Police have stepped up enforcement. On Tuesday, they raided 359 locations across the state, arresting 86 people and registering 75 FIRs. The raids led to the seizure of 21.1 kg of heroin, 2 kg of opium, 254 kg of poppy husk, 1,156 intoxicant tablets and capsules, and cash.
Officials said surveillance along the rivers has been intensified, but acknowledged that floods continue to provide cover for smugglers attempting to push consignments into Punjab.
