FEROZEPORE, May 22: Fresh evidence of smugglers using innovative methods in their trans-border activities on the Punjab border with Pakistan, often with the connivance of some security officials in recent months has put the Border Security Force (BSF) in a bind.

The arrest of a border courier, Makhan Singh, in the Mamdot sector has provided vital clues to the ongoing activities, which police officials believe are on the increase following return of peace in Punjab. Makhan Singh, who was arrested in March, reportedly told the interrogators that he had been instrumental in smuggling 5,500 kg of gold, about 60 kg heroin, besides other consignments into India during the past eight months.

His disclosures during interrogation that certain BSF officials connived in the nefarious activities, come at a time when the force is still recovering from the shock of a case involving senior officers, whose court martial proceedings have just completed.

While, the B S Hari, former commandant, Mamdot was court martialled a few months ago and sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs one lakh, an inspector and two others were awarded other punishments about one month ago. The punishments were in connection with their role in an incident of 1995, when 40 jerrycans of a chemical used for changing ordinary opium into quality heroin, were recovered while being smuggled into Pakistan.

The Inspector General of Border Security Force, Punjab A S Aulakh, when contacted at Jalandhar, admitted that there had been an increase in the attempts at smuggling from across the border from the Pakistan side but categorically denied that more smuggling was taking place in the last few months.

However, the discovery last month of a 116 feet long tunnel in the Amritsar sector with openings on both sides of the barbed wire, shows that the Punjab border may not have been as dormant as believed.

Only a few months ago, Arvinder Singh, a joint director (intelligence) of the BSF at Amritsar was arrested for his alleged nexus with smugglers and Pak rangers. He had been accused of helping in the smuggling of heroin in his official vehicles in the Ajnala sector.

Aulakh was categorical that except for the two cases, no other cases of involvement of BSF officials had been reported or suspected. ``These are stray incidents,'' he added.

Earlier, a case of smuggling was unearthed at border village Khuian Sarwar in Ferozepore in which two persons had laid a big pipe from under the barbed wire for carrying irrigation water from tube well installed on the Indian side of the fencing, to the field across the fencing. Items were transferred through a water pipe from one side to the other with the help of long steel wires.

Makhan Singh's arrest and disclosures indicate how the smugglers are using new and innovative methods to hoodwink the security officials. He was nabbed while driving a cart load of green fodder from his field across fencing touching the Pakistan border and the BSF manning the fencing gate after search had issued clearance to Makhan Singh to enter the Indian side of the wire. But on a tip off, police during search and close scrutiny of the wooden floor of the cart found some dubious screws which, when opened led to four long rectangular cavities below the wooden floor. The police found 13 packets of heroin worth crores in the international market.

Makhan Singh, who owns a piece of land across the barbed wire on the bank of river Sutlej near a BSF border observation post, used to get a sum of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per trip while working for different operatives for nearly seven years.

He disclosed that he was made to lower one big earthen pitcher at a fixed pit dug up in his field into the earth. Its mouth was covered by a wooden piece painted in earthen colour. His counterparts from across would cross the river Satluj and place the smuggled goods in the pitcher. He used to pack the smuggled items in the cavities of the cart.

During 1994, he disclosed that once during the reverse exercise, his integrity was doubted by his associates, who took him to the Amritsar border and handed him over to certain people, who with the help of some BSF officials further handed him over to the smuggling mafia in Pakistan, where he was interrogated thoroughly.

Later, finding him innocent, he was returned to the Indian territory in J&K after about three months stay in Pakistan.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.