Chandigarh, April 29 (IANS) Punjab Police have installed 2,291 CCTV cameras at 585 locations along the international border with Pakistan as part of this second line of defence, creating a dense surveillance net across vulnerable villages and transit routes.

Under “Gangstran Te Vaar”, the police are strengthening the technology-driven security grid designed to choke the very lifelines of organised crime networks operating with cross-border linkages.

While the Border Security Force (BSF) continues to guard the international boundary, the police are ensuring that even if contraband slips through, it doesn’t travel far.

And increasingly, the numbers reflect that intent.

In addition to installing CCTVs, 41 police stations in border districts have been brought under CCTV coverage, feeding into a broader ecosystem of monitoring and response.

But this is not just about expanding surveillance; it is about making it count.

On the ground, checkpoints (nakas) have become sharper and less predictable, backed by real-time intelligence. Vehicle checks are no longer routine but targeted, a police statement said on Wednesday.

Anti-drone vigilance has been intensified, especially in districts that have seen repeated drops of arms and narcotics.

“The second line of defence is where the chain is effectively broken. While border sealing remains the first layer, any breach that occurs is swiftly intercepted within our jurisdiction. Our nakas are no longer routine checkpoints; they are intelligence-led, positioned and operated on the basis of verified inputs,” said Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar Rural, Suhail Qasim Mir.

“Simultaneously, village-level defence committees and local networks are closely integrated into the security framework, ensuring that ground-level movement does not go unnoticed. We are also continuously strengthening critical infrastructure, surveillance systems, mobility, and rapid response mechanisms, so that this layer functions both as a deterrent and a disruption point for any criminal activity,” he added.

Underlining the shift, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the strengthening of the second line is central to the state’s anti-gangster strategy.

“We are building depth in our policing. The focus is on dismantling the entire ecosystem, from cross-border supply to last-mile delivery. The second line of defence ensures that even if an attempt is made, it is detected early and neutralised swiftly,” he added.

For observers of the state’s policing landscape, this marks a clear shift. The focus is shifting from reacting to crimes to disrupting the logistics that enable them. Because every drone drop intercepted, every suspicious vehicle flagged, every movement tracked through the CCTV grid directly weakens the ecosystem that sustains gangsters, many of whom operate remotely, often from abroad.

–IANS

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