BSF seizes 26 kilograms of heroin in Ajnala

The Border Security Force (BSF) has confirmed the seizure 26 kilograms of heroin along the India-Pakistan border near the Shahpur border outpost in the Ajnala area of Amritsar district in Punjab.

The drugs are reportedly worth INR 1.33 billion (USD 20 million).

The BSF also recovered arms and ammunition along with a Pakistani Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card.

"Some people were trying to smuggle heroin across the fence. We could not nab anyone but we seized 26 kilograms of heroin in 25 packets. We have also recovered a pistol, a loaded magazine, a mobile with a Pakistani SIM card and another SIM card, which was packed in paper," said Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Gurdaspur sector, A. Srinivas.

Punjab is the gateway through which drugs worth billions of rupees make their way into India every year via the Golden Crescent - a major South Asian drug smuggling route covering Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Most part of the India-Pakistan border in the state is fenced. However, some pockets remain open, through which smuggling of contraband is frequent.