Punjab Police have installed 2,291 CCTV cameras at 585 locations along the international border with Pakistan, creating a dense surveillance grid across vulnerable villages and transit routes. Under the “Gangstran Te Vaar” initiative, the force is building a technology-driven second line of defence to choke organised crime networks with cross-border linkages. While the Border Security Force (BSF) continues to guard the boundary, police officials explained that their role is to ensure contraband does not travel far if it slips through. In addition to the new cameras, 41 police stations in border districts have been brought under CCTV coverage, feeding into a wider monitoring ecosystem. Checkpoints have also become sharper and intelligence-led, with anti-drone vigilance intensified in districts that have seen repeated drops of arms and narcotics.
Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Qasim Mir said the second line of defence is designed to break the chain of trafficking, with nakas now positioned based on verified intelligence rather than routine checks. He added that village-level defence committees and local networks are integrated into the framework, ensuring ground-level movements are tracked. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav underlined that the strategy is central to Punjab’s anti-gangster drive, focusing on dismantling the entire ecosystem from cross-border supply to last-mile delivery. Observers note this marks a shift in policing — from reacting to crimes to disrupting the logistics that enable them. Every intercepted drone drop, flagged vehicle, and movement tracked through the CCTV grid weakens the networks sustaining gangsters, many of whom operate remotely from abroad.