Punjab Takes Fight Against Drugs to New Heights: Trials Advanced Anti-Drone Technology at Naushehra Dhalla to combat cross-border narco-terrorism

Chandigarh/ Tarn Taran , March 19, 2025: In a decisive move to combat cross-border drug smuggling and narco-terrorism amidst the ongoing drive against drugs— “Yudh Nashian Virudh”, Punjab Government on Wednesday conducted a trial of advanced anti-drone technology at ground zero in village Naushera Dhalla, located near the Indo-Pak border in Tarn Taran district. This demonstration, held in the Sarai Amanat Khan area—a hotspot for drone activity and cross-border smuggling over the past two years—marks a crucial step in strengthening Punjab’s defence capabilities.

The trial, which was attended by Punjab Cabinet Minister and the State President of Aam Aadmi Party Aman Arora and Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, along with senior Punjab Police officials, is a continuation of earlier demonstrations held at SAS Nagar, Mohali, on March 4 and 5, 2025.

While addressing the media on the sidelines of the trial, Aman Arora said that the event was aimed at analysing cutting-edge anti-drone systems designed to counter the growing threat of drone-based smuggling of arms, explosives, and narcotics.
He emphasised the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab government has been taking concrete steps to eradicate the drug menace, a crisis that previous governments failed to address. “For years, the drug trade has destroyed countless lives in Punjab, while previous governments turned a blind eye. Today, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, we are taking concrete steps to eliminate this scourge from the state,” said Aman Arora.

The anti-drone systems demonstrated by a private company featured detection, identification, and neutralisation capabilities, forming part of a broader strategy to fortify Punjab’s second line of defence. These systems are expected to play a pivotal role in preventing illegal activities by targeting drones that cross the border, a growing concern for law enforcement.

The trial was conducted in real-time scenarios to assess the effectiveness of the technology in challenging border conditions.
Aman Arora said that while the primary responsibility for securing the international border lies with the the Border Security Force (BSF), the Punjab Government has been taking proactive measures to complement these efforts.

He also offered other companies from across the globe having expertise in anti-drone technology to come to the state of Punjab for demonstrations as Punjab Government is looking to acquire the world’s best anti-drone technology to deal with the challenge of cross-border drug smuggling and narco-terrorism in the border state.