Police in the Arnia sector of Jammu and Kashmir detained Rohit Kumar and Ajay on May 15, after locating a packet buried near a tube‑well that contained a Beretta pistol, two magazines, four live rounds, 500 g heroin and 500 g opium.
The pair had been in contact with Pakistan‑based gangster Shehzad Bhatti via Instagram, and investigators believe the consignment was airdropped from the International Border over agricultural fields a few months earlier.
The recovered drugs and weapons are part of a larger cross‑border supply chain that has supplied pistols to elements in Punjab, according to an official privy to the investigation.
An FIR was registered at Arnia Police Station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Arms Act, and the police are probing forward and backward linkages.
The investigation is now targeting the network’s alleged recipients in Punjab and other parts of India, with authorities planning to file charges and coordinate with intelligence agencies.
The case follows rising concerns over drone‑based smuggling across the India‑Pakistan border, prompting a renewed focus on border security measures.