NIA probes drone-based arms smuggling across India-Pakistan border

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a probe into the smuggling of arms and ammunition via drones across the India-Pakistan border, suspecting a larger conspiracy aimed at carrying out terror attacks in India, officials said on Monday.

Acting on a directive from the Union home ministry, the anti-terror agency has registered a case to investigate the alleged role of a Pakistan-based terror operative, Jasvir Chaudhary, his Indian associate Shubham Kumar and other unidentified individuals, they said.

The case was originally registered by the Punjab Police in February this year.


The State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Amritsar received credible information that on Chaudhary's directions, his Indian associates obtained a large consignment of arms, ammunition, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) dropped via drones across the India-Pakistan border, with the intention to carry out blasts at various places in Punjab, Delhi and other parts of the country, they said.

An FIR in this regard was registered by the state police on February 10.

In its order, the home ministry said the case pertains to a criminal conspiracy hatched by a "foreign element" to carry out terrorist acts in India with the use of arms, ammunition and explosives.

Having regard to the gravity of the offence, its grave security ramifications, national and international linkages and the need to unearth the larger conspiracy, it is required to be investigated by the NIA, said the order, seeking probe by the federal agency.

The NIA had also registered an FIR last month to probe the Punjab arms-dropping case.