Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday flagged off "Baaj Akh’’ – the Anti-Drone System (ADS) – aiming to check the arms and drugs smuggling from Pakistan, at an event in the border district of Tarn Taran.
Kejriwal Flags Off ‘Baaj Akh’ in Tarn Taran
Stating that with this Punjab has become the first state in the country to deploy this system at the international border, Kejriwal held that while previous regimes hobnobbed with the drug smugglers due to which this curse flexed its muscles in the state, now a massive crackdown has been launched against drugs and big fishes involved in this trade have been put behind the bars.
He said that three ADS have been launched and six others will be launched very soon to make Punjab free from this scourge.
Nine Units to Guard 553-Km Border
Speaking about the state government’s ongoing “war against drugs” campaign, Mann said that Punjab said that Punjab shares a 553-kilometer border with Pakistan, which is considered one of the most sensitive zones for the smuggling of narcotics and weapons and therefore nine anti-drone units are being set up along the international border to strengthen border security and tackle the challenges posed by drone-based smuggling.
Rs 51.4 Crore Spent on Anti-Drone Network
Stating that an amount of Rs 51.4 crore is being spent on these units, he said that although our country’s armed forces and BSF have already been using such systems, Punjab is the first state in the country to deploy anti-drone systems at the international border.
Drone Seizures Rising in Punjab
He said that in 2024, a total of 283 drones loaded with heroin, weapons, and ammunition were seized adding that in 2025, so far, 137 drones have already been recovered. Mann said that the anti-drone system will be deployed along the border from Pathankot to Fazilka as a second line of defense.
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Mann said that with this, any drone entering the state through the border can be immediately neutralised and added that these systems will assist the security forces in combating the smuggling of drugs and weapons and that these will be deployed at those specific border points where high drone activity has been observed.
