Page 66 - DRI ANNUAL REPORT EBOOK

Porous border at Hellay Bhanjyang in Darjeeling district, West Bengal. Left side of the road is Nepal.
The 3323 km India-Pakistan border is still prone to smuggling of Heroin. The fenced border has been circumvented by ingenious and crude methods such as tunnels, slings and pipes for cross border delivery of contraband goods. Technology also has started playing a greater role with usage of drones for delivery across the border.
The maritime boundary of India with Sri Lanka has fast emerged as a focus area for smuggling. Proximity to the north-western tip of Sri Lanka, presence of fishing communities of same ethnic linkages in both countries and cessation of internal war and return of peace in Sri Lanka have all contributed to the present stage. Carriers frequently use small motorized country boats for smuggling which are swift and agile to manoeuvre and can easily dodge radar surveillance. An intricate network of handlers and carriers are involved in handing over gold at a predestined location on the sea with the help of GPS devices. However, in the event of detection by law enforcement agencies, the gold would be dropped into the sea for future retrieval.
32 SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT 2019-20