POONCH: Adding to the measures to secure the Line of Control in the Hamirpur area of Poonch district, the Indian Army has added a sniffer dog to its security grid with an aim to sanitize those inimical elements peddling narcotics into the country.
A two-year-old black labrador named Doti trained specially to identify narcotics, has joined duty as a narcotics sniffer dog in the Hamirpur area after a large number of cases of narcotics seizure came to light, according to an Army soldier.
“Doti was deployed here six months back and has been performing his duty at the Dabbi Check Post at the Anti Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS) in the Hamirpur area where there is a cluster of 9 villages which are ahead of the AIOS Fence but are inside the LoC on the Indian side,” the soldier said.
The narcotics are pushed with an aim to pull the youth into addiction, making them vulnerable and gullible enough to facilitate transporting more narcotics into the country as well as generate funds that can be used to finance anti-national activities, said an officer who did not wish to be named.
Doti not only sniffs out the contraband, but he also acts as a psychological deterrent, the soldier quoted above added, as his sight scares the people, including women, carrying the consignment.
The situation in the area is unique as the Anti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS) grid was set up under a plan, which at places has villages lying between the AIOS and the LoC.
There are nine villages with a total population of around 5,000 people in the area, residing ahead of the AIOS.
The AIOS is a fence that has been erected deeper inside from the Line of Control to enhance the ability to detect and intercept terrorists attempting to infiltrate/exfiltrate and to reduce border infiltration as part of the Indian Army’s counter-infiltration strategy.
It has an appropriate mix of technology and human resource put together including innovative troops deployment, proactive use of surveillance and monitoring devices.
On the basis of regular analysis of threat assessment and past infiltration attempts, drills and procedures are modified to counter emerging threats.
It is a double-row fence consisting of concertina wire and is just one of the methods to stop infiltration and not a foolproof system.
It consists of 10 to 12 feet high and 6 to 7 feet wide mesh of concertina wire with a system of floodlights, sensors, sirens, thermal imagers, minefields, foot patrols, and drones for recce.