Consider anyone coming to pick up drone-dropped weapons as nation’s biggest enemy: J&K DGP

Samba/Jammu, Dec 3 (PTI) Asserting the drone activities from across the border is a challenge, DGP R R Swain on Sunday said anyone coming to pick up the drone-dropped weapons, narcotics and money is the nation’s biggest enemy, and will be booked for treason and terrorism.

The Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) said if anyone, who comes to pick up the drone-dropped materials, is arrested then he will be degraded and disincentivized in accordance with the law.

“We consider anyone coming to pick up the weapons, ammunition, explosives, narcotics or money as the biggest enemy of the country and the accused will be booked for treason and terrorism of the highest level,” he added.

Swain said the security along the border areas is tight but attempts are being made from across the border to disrupt peace in the Union Territory.

“In the recent past, the tunnels were dug at different places to push terrorists and weapons which was a challenge. Drone is another challenge and the people have to play a role (in countering this challenge),” Swain told reporters in Samba district.

Referring to a meeting in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the DGP said it was conveyed at the highest authority level that there is a lot of population who can work as eyes and ears because conventional methodology like air defence systems do not pick up the movement of drones given its technology.

“The drone intrudes stealthy like a rat. We want a system in place at the police station and police post-level with a focus to respond as quickly as possible on hearing about it (drone movement), trace and its interdiction besides intelligence gathering to know exactly when it is air-borne,” he added.

The DGP said it is by a combination of intelligence, investigation, area domination and people’s cooperation to make their work so difficult that they will understand it is of no use.

Asked about the growing terrorist activities in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, Swain said that “sweeping statements cannot tell us about the real situation”

“Operational secrecy does not allow revealing the number of active terrorists. We do not talk about the numbers because it cannot tell anything about the situation. Even two persons can carry out a major incident,” he added.

The DGP said that attempts are being made from across the border to disrupt peace.

“We are a border state and that cannot be changed,” he added.

Swain said that “planning and strategy is needed to take on this challenge”.

“I have previously said that it is a challenge or a challenge is being thrown at us. Whether it will overwhelm us, the answer is no,” he added.

The DGP said the “people have a major role to play in countering such types of challenges”.

He further said the people are actively cooperating with the security agencies in the fight against terrorism, adding the security forces are getting dozens of inputs about the terrorists in Poonch-Rajouri belt.

“Even at places, the people have themselves caught hold of the terrorists,” Swain said, referring to arrest of dreaded terrorist Talib Hussain Shah of Rajouri and his Kashmiri associate Faisal Ahmad Dar of Pulwama who were overpowered by the villagers of Tukson Dhok in Reasi in July last year and later handed over to the police.

Two AK assault rifles, a pistol, seven grenades and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from them.