BSF foils smuggling attempt in Punjab, recovers M3 and AK47 type rifles

Chandigarh, Aug 23 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) on Tuesday said it has foiled a smuggling attempt from Pakistan by recovering M3 and AK47 type rifles.

"Alert troops of @BSF_Punjab thwarted a weapons smuggling attempt by recovering 02 M-3 type rifles with 04 mags (magazines), 03 AK-47 type rifles with 06 mags & 02 Pistols with 04 mags during checking/search along the Indo-Pak Border in Distt Ferozepur, Punjab," the BSF said in a tweet.

Punjab shares a 553-km long international border, with a barbed wire fence, with Pakistan.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) Pankaj Kumar to enhance vigil at the borders of the state for checking smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border.

The Director General had called on the Chief Minister here on July 31.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister had said Punjab being a border state faces numerous challenges of smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border.

He had said that this needs to be checked with a heavy hand as it poses a grave threat to the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.

Mann had said Punjab is fighting the country's war against the drug menace.