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A joint operation by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan's Sriganganagar district led to the recovery of a large quantity of weapons, cartridges and explosives dropped into Indian territory through three drone sorties, ANTF Inspector General Vikas Kumar said on Tuesday.
The recovered items include between 600 and 700 cartridges, pistols and a large quantity of explosives, including components used in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs), power equipment and detonators, Kumar said. "A large quantity of weapons, cartridges, and explosives was dropped into Rajasthan's territory across three drone sorties. We are currently counting the items; there are between 600 and 700 cartridges, some pistols, and a massive amount of explosives, including components for making IEDs, power equipment, detonators, and so on," he said. Calling the recovery a "highly alarming development", Kumar said that such a large quantity of cartridges, weapons and ammunition had been recovered in Rajasthan for the first time. "This is a highly alarming development because, for the first time in Rajasthan, such a vast quantity of cartridges, weapons, and ammunition has been dropped," he said. Kumar said the operation was carried out based on intelligence inputs received over the past month regarding the presence of two suspects from Punjab in the Rajasthan border area. He emphasised that the recovery was not accidental but the result of sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering by the task force. "The operation itself wasn't a chance recovery; it wasn't a case of the material simply falling or being seized unexpectedly. We had information for about a month that two suspects from Punjab were present in the Rajasthan border area with a specific agenda," Kumar said. He added that the teams monitored the suspects' movements discreetly and received specific intelligence about the arrival of the consignment a day before the operation. "Our teams monitored them with great professionalism, tracking their movements without letting them realise that the NTF team was shadowing them. Finally, yesterday we received intelligence that the consignment was due to arrive today," he said. Kumar said two individuals had been arrested in connection with the case. However, their identities were being withheld to avoid compromising the ongoing investigation. "We are deliberately withholding the identities of the two individuals arrested for the sake of the ongoing investigation," he said. Further investigation into the recovery and the circumstances surrounding the consignment is underway. (ANI)
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