Pakistani troops using UAVs to spy on India: BSF

Pakistani troops have been using every opportunity to spy on the Indian side using UAVs or cameras along the border, a BSF officer said on Saturday.

BSF DIG (Rajasthan Frontier) Ravi Gandhi said that Pakistan was making the best use of technology to keep an eye on the Indian side but had stopped the practice after objection was raised. However, there were still some concerns in other areas.

Reportedly BSF troops had spotted a moving light as high as 150–400 metres close to the border in Pakistani territory in April.

"We do not know what exactly it was. But assuming them to be some drone or a UAV kind of thing, we took up the matter with Pakistani Rangers through a protest note after which the practice was dropped," Gandhi said.

"But then they started installing cameras close to the border at a number of places in Barmer, Jaislamer, Bikaner and Ganganagar," Gandhi said, adding that all the cameras were removed from the border of Rajasthan Frontier after "we objected this move but some are still there on the boarder in other frontiers".

"We took a serious objection on these overtures of Pakistan after which the Rangers removed these cameras," claimed Gandhi.

"These might be attempt of Pakistani Rangers to explore the possibilities of getting their moles, may be some smugglers with drug or arms slip into the Indian territory in the thick on night," said a police official citing their links in the villages along the border in Indian territory.

Meanwhile, the BSF is also grappling with the issue of illegal mining of gypsum in Bikaner region.

BSF patrolling teams have seized a number of trucks and caught a number of persons mining close to the border.

"We have caught a number of gypsum mining activities close to the border in Bikaner region and have handed over the trucks and persons to the Bajju police post in April and May," Gandhi said.

He however cautioned that although such activities are being carried out by local mining mafia, unwarranted elements can take advantage of the situation, making it detrimental to national interest.