With heroin seizures with total worth of Rs. 1440 crore in international market registering a jump of over four times last year (2012) as compared to heroin seized worth Rs 340 crore in previous year (2011), the psychotropic substance continues to rain on Indo-Pak border as in less than four months alone this year also as Border Security Force (BSF) seizes nearly 144 kilogram of heroin, worth Rs 720 crore.

The BSF had also seized heroin worth Rs 90 crore from Rattoke Khemkaran sector in Ferozepur district on Tuesday and in two days alone heroin worth Rs 350 crore has been seized by the paramilitary force.

Intriguingly, the Pakistani Rangers continue to be oblivious over the issue and are rather suspected to be extending their tacit support for smuggling from across the border.

The value of each kilogram of heroin in international market is Rs 5 crore. In 2012 and in 2011 (From January to December), the BSF in Punjab had seized 288 kilogram and 68 kilogram of heroin, respectively.

On Wednesday, in two separate seizures, BSF deployed along Indo-Pak border seized 52 kilogram of heroin, pegged at Rs. 260 crore in international value.

The BSF personnel of 163 battalion recovered 20 kilogram of heroin from across the fence near Roranwali border outpost in the wee hours today.

What has made the BSF suspect strongly about tacit support of Pak Rangers to the smuggling is the total indifferent attitude of the Rangers despite the fact that smugglers held their ground in Pakistani side for more than two and a half hours and fired a number of shots from AK 47 assault rifles to retrieve the contraband lying near the fence after their movement was detected by BSF and they were challenged.

BSF DIG R P S Jaswal said as many as nine empty shells and two live rounds of AK 47 had been recovered by BSF so far from the spot. Jaswal said the actual number of shots fired by smugglers believed to be two to three in numbers was more and more empty shells could be recovered later on. He said BSF also retaliated by opening fire towards smugglers. The firing, intermittent, started at about 2:40 am and continued till about 5 am. The only thing Pak Rangers did, Jaswal said, was that they turned search lights towards Indian side at about 5 am when last round was fired.

"It is surprising that smugglers held their ground for such long and there was no action from Pak Rangers for all this time," said BSF Inspector General (Punjab Frontier) Aditya Mishra.

"We would raise the issue with (top officials of) Pak Rangers during the meeting a," Mishra said, suspecting Rangers' "indirect support" in smuggling.

Meanwhile, in another seizure, BSF 80 Battalion seized 32 kilogram of heroin from an area near T-Bandh border outpost in Ferozepur sector. DIG Jaswal said a Pak smuggler was suspected to have sustained a gunshot wound while fleeing as blood stains were seen at the site where heroin was recovered at about 3 am. BSF also recovered a pistol, a magazine, eight rounds, a Nokia mobile phone and a SIM card of V-Fone company, besides 25 grams of opium which DIG said was likely carried by smugglers for their "own consumption".

The origin and modus operandi

The heroin that is smuggled to India primarily originates from Afghanistan that forms part of South Asia, Central Asia and to a certain extent West Asia and from few other West Asian countries. Smugglers from Pak use a pipe to push the contraband from across the fence on Indian side after crossing over the International Border line. The Customs department too seized large quantities of heroin, one worth over Rs 500 crore, in goods train from Pak that brought cement, last year. In another case, BSF had found heroin in an agricultural iron tool sealed from both sides with welding. The tool was cut open to recover the heroin. In another case last year, the crew of goods train from Pakistan was detained in India after a bag containing heroin was allegedly thrown from the train after it entered India and was said to have been noticed by the Horse mounted personnel of the BSF who move along the train for a distance after it enters India.

Counterfeit Currency also raining, being fine tuned in Pak

On Tuesday, BSF in Punjab recovered fake Indian currency notes (FICN) worth Rs. 4.87 lakh in denominations of Rs. 1000 taking the total figures of FICN recovered so far this year to Rs. 48.06 lakh as compared to total of Rs. 46.21 lakh recovered last year.

The improves quality of paper, ink and striking similarities in features like watermark, latent image, see through register, mention of year at backside bottom in the consignment recovered on Tuesday has BSF worried as it is increasingly becoming difficult to detect it.

BSF suspect ISI is pumping this currency to India with a twin objective of terror funding and destabilising country's economy.

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