NEW DELHI: The home ministry has handed over to NIA the case relating to dropping of consignments of weapons by drones in Punjab’s border areas, allegedly by Pakistan-based trouble-makers.

An NIA officer confirmed that the agency has re-registered the case originally filed by the Punjab police. “An NIA team reached Amritsar, Punjab yesterday to carry out further investigation,” the officer told TOI.

The Punjab police had earlier claimed that the weapons were suspected to have been delivered by drones sent across the Western border from Pakistan by drones launched by the ISI and state-sponsored Islamist and pro-Khalistani terrorist outfits working under its command. The weapons, it had alleged, were meant for attacks in Punjab and other states.

Expressing concerns over the incident, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh had urged home minister Amit Shah to ensure necessary action in the 'incidents' of Pakistan-origin drones being used for dropping consignments of arms and ammunition in the state.

The chief minister had also urged the Centre to direct the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) to launch necessary counter-measures to check any further threat from drones to the border state.

Last month police recovered five AK-47 rifles, pistols, satellite phones, hand grenades and other weapons dropped by drones at Rajoke village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. The cops indicated that the high-end drones were GPS-fitted and the drop location was fed into them by operators. The drones dropped the consignment and returned, they added.

On another occasion, a drone from Pakistan failed to fly back after dropping its consignment, and was retrieved and burnt by the intended recipients, said to be a pro-Khalistan group.

