Islamabad, Pakistan

A senior Pakistani official has admitted on camera that smugglers in the South Asian nation are increasingly using drones to send drugs across the border to India.

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The admission came from the Special Assistant on Defence to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during an interview with senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir in Kasur city.

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Malik Mohd Ahmad Khan, while responding to a question asked by Hamid Mir, said, “Yes, and it (smuggling) is very scary.”

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“Recently there have been two incidents where 10 kg heroin was tied to each drone and thrown across. Agencies are trying to stop this,” Khan said.

This is the first statement by a senior Pak govt official that corroborates India's charges regarding the smuggling of drugs by Pakistan-based peddlers using drones.

Drug smuggling on the rise from Pakistan

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Drug trade via drones from Pakistan is on the rise, which has triggered concerns among Indian authorities. 

On Tuesday (July 25), the police in Indian Punjab recovered 3 kg of heroin that was sent by Pakistani smugglers using a drone. Police also arrested two people in the case, who drew suspicion after they were caught carrying a bag with something written on it in the Urdu language.

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Addressing a press conference, Kaustubh Sharma, Inspector General, Ludhiana range, said they were going to deliver the package to drug addicts in Jagraon, Sidhwan Bet and other areas of Ludhiana.

How drug trade is linked to terrorism

Indian authorities claim the money made out of illegal narcotics trade in India is used by Pakistan to fund terrorism in Punjab as well as Jammu and Kashmir.

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In March this year, Director-General of Police (DGP), Jammu and Kashmir, Dilbag Singh said, “We are faced with a new challenge where the drugs and weapons are smuggled from Pakistan together. While the weapons are delivered to the terrorists, the major part of the drug proceeds are returned to handlers (across the border) and the rest shared by the peddlers.”

He also mentioned that the drug trade was essential for cash-strapped Pakistan to keep terrorism “alive.”

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