Over 2,300 CCTV Cameras to Monitor Cross-Border Smuggling as Police Deploy Elite Units
The Punjab Police has embarked on an ambitious security overhaul along the India-Pakistan border, announcing the installation of 2,367 CCTV cameras across 585 strategically vulnerable locations to combat rising cross-border smuggling of narcotics, weapons, and explosives.
The Rs. 49.58 crore project marks a significant escalation in surveillance capabilities along Punjab’s 553-kilometer border with Pakistan. Police have already commenced installation work as part of a comprehensive strategy to fortify the state’s second line of defence against organized smuggling networks operating across the frontier.
The Smuggling Crisis
Cross-border criminal syndicates have intensified their operations in recent months, exploiting geographic vulnerabilities and border weaknesses. This year alone, the Punjab Police seized 2,021 kilograms of heroin destined for distribution networks across the state. Weapons and explosives smuggling has also reached alarming levels, with rifles, revolvers, pistols, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), RDX, hand grenades, detonators, and rocket-propelled grenades regularly intercepted.
“These materials are being sent with the explicit intention to spread terror in Punjab,” officials noted, underscoring the security threat posed by uncontrolled smuggling.
Geographic Vulnerabilities
Most of Punjab’s border with Pakistan is fortified with barbed wire fencing. However, critical gaps remain where the Ravi and Sutlej rivers cross into Pakistani territory. These unfenced areas present persistent security challenges for both the Border Security Force (BSF), which manages front-line defence, and the Punjab Police, which coordinates second-line operations.
Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Amritsar rural districts have been identified as the most vulnerable to smuggling operations, prompting police to deploy anti-drone systems in these regions to detect and counter aerial contraband trafficking.
Multi-Layered Defence Strategy
The CCTV installation project is one component of an integrated security framework. The Punjab Police has simultaneously deployed specialized tactical units along the border, including the Special Operations Group (SOG) Hit Teams, Special Security Group (SSG), and Ghatak Platoon teams, all equipped with bulletproof vehicles.
This combination of technological surveillance, human intelligence, and rapid-response capabilities is designed to create overlapping layers of security that can identify, track, and intercept smuggling operations before contraband reaches the state’s interior.
Strategic Objectives
According to Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Punjab Police, the initiative reflects the department’s commitment to leveraging modern technology in border security management. The identified 585 locations represent areas where suspicious activity most frequently occurs, enabling targeted deployment of resources.
“With the support of the government and by utilizing new technologies, the second line of security in the border areas is being further strengthened,” Yadav stated, emphasizing the collaborative approach between state and central security agencies.
The project signals Punjab’s determination to address one of India’s most volatile border regions through a combination of conventional security measures and cutting-edge surveillance technology.
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