The Rajasthan Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) thought it was on the trail of yet another drug consignment routinely dropped by drones flying in from the Pakistani side of the border in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar sector.
The police have yet to identify the handler known as RS, who is believed to be based in Punjab and is related to both accused. A larger terror network under the scanner Investigators are still trying to establish whether the consignment, which included explosives capable of causing extensive damage, was intended for Rajasthan or another state. Security agencies say this is consistent with the structure of compartmentalised terror networks, in which individual operatives are kept isolated from other links in the chain. Such arrangements are designed to ensure that the arrest of one operative does not expose the entire network. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Rajasthan Police’s anti-terror task force have joined the investigation. Security sources say the nature and quantity of the material recovered suggest that an attack may have been planned in the near future. However, investigators are yet to establish the intended target, the purpose of the consignment or the extent of the network involved.
2 men from Punjab arrested while collecting the consignment Photo Credit: Rajasthan ANTF The two men arrested while retrieving the consignment have been identified as Lakhwinder, from Ferozepur in Punjab, and his cousin Sukhwinder, from Jalandhar. Investigators say the two are also wanted in connection with a grenade attack on the Jalalabad police station in Punjab’s Fazilka district on the night of September 13, 2026. For more than a month, the two had been working at a farm near village 12 KD in Raola.
The duo have allegedly told investigators that they were acting on the instructions of a relative, identified as RS, who had tasked them with collecting the cross-border consignment. They posed as agricultural labourers but were allegedly monitoring the movement of the Border Security Force (BSF) and other security agencies in the area, according to investigators. The arrested men have also reportedly told security agencies that they were in touch with three men across the border, identified as Umar Chacha, Dungar Chacha and Shah Pathan. The communication allegedly took place through social media and conference calls, sources said. The arrested men did not know where the material was ultimately supposed to be delivered, according to sources. The accused have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act, among other provisions, according to officials.
Investigators suspect the consignment may have been intended for a terror attack, possibly during the festive season or in the run-up to elections in Punjab
What its personnel stumbled upon, however, was something far more alarming: a terror consignment containing RDX, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), pistols, remote-detonation equipment, batteries and hundreds of cartridges. Investigators suspect the consignment may have been intended for a terror attack, possibly during the festive season or in the run-up to elections in Punjab. The intended target, however, remains unclear. Waiting ANTF personnel caught them in the act. What they recovered left the personnel stunned. There were no drugs. “It was a bomb. This could cause mass damage. It was a high-impact, sophisticated weapon capable of causing substantial damage. A special bomb disposal squad had to be called in to render it ineffective,” he added. The explosives were packed in airtight compartments, with tubes placed around the packages to cushion the impact of the drop. “It was packed to evade detection. Investigators suspect they were meant to function merely as couriers or delivery agents. They had, however, allegedly been taught how to use a firearm in case the need arose. ANTF officials collecting cartridges Photo Credit: Rajasthan ANTF
On the intervening night of October 12 and 13, three drones, reportedly launched from five to 10 kilometres inside Pakistan, flew over the Sri Ganganagar sector. They dropped packages in a field near village 12 KD in Raola, Sri Ganganagar district, barely five kilometres from the India-Pakistan international border. 2 pistols and explosives recovered from drone drop Photo Credit: Rajasthan ANTF Two young men, both around 19 years old, ventured into the field under cover of darkness to retrieve the packages. Instead, the consignment contained sophisticated explosives, IEDs, a timer device, detonation circuit, remote-explosion equipment and two Turkish-made Zigana pistols, along with 867 cartridges. “The bombs were ready and loaded with shrapnel, which could travel at a speed of 9.5 kilometres per second when exploded. Three packets containing a total of 7.75 kg of RDX had been sent across the border, according to officials.
The circuits simply had to be connected,” ANTF Inspector General Vikas Kumar told NDTV. The packet was airtight and had multiple layers, making it difficult even for a dog squad to sniff it out,” IG Vikas Kumar said. Sources have told NDTV that the two men may not have known who the consignment was intended for.
