With the threat of terror drones looming large, India needs to urgently evolve a holistic cross-border drone monitoring and interception capability to safeguard its national security
The skies over India are becoming battlegrounds for a new kind of threat: terror drones. In the latest incident, Indian security forces recovered an unmanned infiltrating Chinese-made DJI Matrice 300 RTK quadcopter that had infiltrated from Pakistan into the Indian state of Punjab. The discovery of this high-end drone, worth $13,700, highlights the increasing use of advanced aerial technology by nefarious actors across borders.
Earlier this week, a drone operated by Pakistan violated Indian airspace from across the international border before being shot down in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar sector. The Indian Border Security Force recovered five packages of purported narcotics from the drone wreckage. In another illicit cross-border drone activity incident, police retrieved two unassembled improvised explosive devices with detonators, two Chinese-made pistols, four magazines with 60 rounds, and half a million Indian rupees dropped by a terror drone controlled from Pakistan in November last year.
These are not isolated instances; the number of “terror drones” flown by Pakistan and used for hostile reconnaissance, drug, weapon, explosive, and ammunition smuggling into India has increased fourfold in Punjab alone since the beginning of 2023. Over the past three weeks, Indian security forces stationed along India’s international border states, particularly Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), have intercepted more than a dozen terror drones launched from Pakistan.
With the threat of terror drones looming large, India needs to urgently evolve a comprehensive cross-border drone monitoring and interception capability to safeguard its national security.
In response to this escalating threat, India’s security and law enforcement agencies across India’s bordering states have aggressively enhanced surveillance to deal with the spike in these deleterious infiltrations from across the border. This rapid uptick in terror drone droppings from Pakistan highlights the need for a more rigorous countrywide strategy to safeguard India’s national security.
The sordid reality of Pakistan’s involvement in narco-terrorism is a well-known fact. This is not hearsay but has been acknowledged by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL), and even at global forums and trade unions such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+).
Earlier last year, FATF demanded that Pakistan prove that it had taken decisive measures against terrorism to avoid being consigned to the dreaded FATF grey list yet again. Pakistan government’s backing for terrorism has also been scrutinised recently, particularly during its attempt to revive a 2019 bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Grave concerns over the use of the bailout money had been raised in the context of Pakistan’s state sponsoring of terrorism. Pakistan, with the sinister intention of waging asymmetrical warfare against Indians by fostering secessionism and terrorism in India, has been notorious for its lack of development policies, an acute disregard for the well-being of its citizens, and its concentration of efforts on fomenting jihadist extremism and sponsoring terrorism against India, which has led to its ultimate downfall.
The country has become a classic case study for the world to see as an example of how states that harbour and endorse extremism, sponsor terrorism, and lack coherent plans for their people’s growth and development are bound to fail.
Concerningly, the increasing and escalating use of terror drones launched from Pakistan against India epitomises the mindset of the country’s deep state and army. Alarmingly, Pakistan seems to have decided to persist in diverting its valuable resources towards supporting terror, thereby continuing to nurture the monster of terrorism that it created, even though it has already bankrupted the country.
By resorting to narco-terrorism and promoting violent extremism to destabilise India, and significantly to weaken its youth, Pakistan is exposing itself to further extreme scrutiny from its financial backers, organisations, unions and nations that greatly benefit it. Pakistan has active loans from international lending agencies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), among others. It is also a partner in the Paris Pact Initiative, which seeks to combat opiate trafficking, consumption and related issues along the Afghan trafficking routes. More so, Pakistan is a beneficiary to Europe’s preferential tariff programmes, including the GSP+. However, Pakistan’s blatant support for organised crime, extremism and terrorism has seriously undermined its credibility. As a result, these agencies and entities have imposed new stringent rectification requirements on Pakistan’s support for terrorism and extremism to maintain their support.
At this critical juncture, it is essential for the international community to recognise the severity and consequences of Pakistan’s aggression by use of “terror drones” against India. Its obstinate commitment to pursue this perilous path endangers not only regional but also global peace and security. More-so, the global community should also pay attention to countries that enable and endorse Pakistan’s actions towards this direction.
China’s role
For example, Pakistan’s all-weather friend, the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) ruled China, which boasts a friendship “higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the ocean, sweeter than honey, and stronger than steel” with Pakistan. Recent recoveries of Pakistan-operated terror drones and dropped weapons in Indian territory provide tangible physical evidence of Chinese technology, equipment, and weaponry being used for narco-terror and related terrorist activities in India. A significant proportion of drones that Pakistan employs for cross-border operations in India are supplied by the Chinese firm, SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd, commonly referred to as DJI. In December 2020, the US government listed DJI on a trade-restricted list due to concerns about its connections to the (CPC) government. It is worth noting that some of the batteries used to power these drones are manufactured by a company based in Karachi, Pakistan. Despite the CPC’s public declarations of unwavering commitment to combat international terrorism, doubts have arisen due to its persistent support for Pakistan and treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Nevertheless, CPC-led China has ratified and plays an active role in several international counter-terrorism treaties, including the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC), Terrorist Financing Convention (formally the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism), and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
If China desires to be regarded as a global leader and it projects itself to be, it must follow through on its promise and participate in eliminating cross-border terrorism in India, which Pakistan perpetrates. Terrorism poses a global threat transcending borders, cultures, and ideologies, jeopardising the security and stability of all nations. Consequently, a genuine and cohesive worldwide response is indispensable for effectively combating terrorism and preserving international peace and security.
Undoubtedly in recent times, India has emerged as a global leader in combating terrorism and terrorism-related crimes through its proactive and comprehensive approach to global security. The country has been a victim of terrorism for decades, and has learned from its experiences to develop effective strategies to prevent and respond to terrorist threats.
India has also been at the forefront of advocating for enhanced international cooperation in counter-terrorism and has actively engaged with other nations and international organisations to promote global peace and security.
Way forward
Given the current threat of terror drones being used by Pakistan from across the border, it is in India’s best interest to develop a national, comprehensive cross-border drone monitoring and interception capability to counter the increasing threat of these terror drones and safeguard India’s national security. This approach should encompass a range of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, radar systems, and satellite imaging, to detect and intercept drones in real-time. Combining these technological measures with information sharing and close coordination among intelligence agencies and security forces across nations can effectively combat the trade of small arms and narcotics, which may also pose a threat to countries worldwide. In addition to technological measures, diplomatic and international pressure must be applied to discourage countries from supporting the use of terror drones. This could include implementing technology restrictions and other measures against nations that provide safe havens to terror groups using drones for terrorism purposes. A holistic approach that combines technological and diplomatic efforts is the need of the hour to address the growing threat of terror drones.