New Delhi, Sep 16: Security along the India-Pakistan border is at an all-time high following the Pahalgam attack. It was ramped up even further after India carried out Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 innocent lives.

The tightening of security has made it nearly impossible for terrorists from Pakistan to infiltrate. Another problem that is being faced by these elements is that they are unable to smuggle arms and ammunition for terrorists to use in Jammu and Kashmir.

The ISI has now activated its modules in India and is encouraging them to operate from remote places and prepare the ammunition or bombs. This is very much on the lines of the Burdwan module in West Bengal that was busted by the agencies in 2014.

The ISI proposes similar modules across the country as it feels that this would ensure quicker and secure arms delivery to its terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir and other places.

Intercepts picked up by the Intelligence Bureau suggest that smaller units to manufacture arms and ammunition are being planned across the country. The agencies have advised the state police units to coordinate closely with the central agencies. These modules have to be tracked and shut down. If there are slip-ups, these have the potential to set up scores of small units and produce a large amount of arms and ammunition.

The primary intention of the ISI is to manoeuvre the block that it is facing at the Line of Control (LoC) owing to heightened security. Initially, it had managed to overcome this problem by using the border with Punjab to send in drugs, arms and ammunition. When the manual routes were blocked, Pakistan used drones to deliver narcotics, money, arms and ammunition. Once these were dropped off in Punjab, they would be transported by route to Jammu and Kashmir. The arms were also meant to be used by the Khalistani terrorists based in Punjab.

However, with technology being enhanced, the Indian agencies managed to shut down this menace largely.

With so many blocks, the ISI has now plotted to set up small units and manufacture arms. The money would be routed through clandestine methods. The agencies say that the ISI uses the hawala route extensively to send money to its operatives in India. Most of the money that comes in for such activities using the hawala route is usually from Gulf nations.

Officials say that identifying such units would be crucial, and hence, the coordination between the states and the Centre is important. While such units can come up overnight, it is important to prevent them from manufacturing arms and ammunition, officials also note.

The job would be harder for the security agencies since these factories would be set up in remote places away from the public eye. This is an intentional ploy to avoid scrutiny. It worked for terror groups in Burdwan. The bomb making factories in Burdwan were operating as cottage industries. Bombs were being manufactured in firecracker-making units, and hence they never caught the attention of the police.

After the module was busted, the police found that bombs had been manufactured in thousands. It was later learnt that the bombs were being manufactured by the Jamaat ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). This was being done at the insistence of the Jamaat-e-Islami, which was planning on carrying out a series of blasts in Bangladesh to enforce regime change.

While the ISI’s new plan is similar in terms of infrastructure and secrecy, the intention is to carry out blasts in the country and also ensure that there is a proper supply chain of arms and ammunition to Jammu and Kashmir.

New Delhi, Sep 16: Gold prices rose Rs 384 to touch a record of Rs 1,10,563 per 10 grams in the domestic futures market on Tuesday, buoyed by strong global cues and expectations of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve that spurred safe-haven demand.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold futures for October delivery climbed Rs 384 or 0.34 per cent to touch a record Rs 1,10,563 per 10 grams. The contract had touched a previous high of Rs 1,10,330 in the last session.

Similarly, the December contract advanced by Rs 418 or 0.37 per cent to hit a fresh peak of Rs 1,11,655 per 10 grams against the earlier high of Rs 1,11,350.

“Gold prices scaled a record peak, supported by a weaker dollar and US Treasury bond yields ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, where the central bank is widely expected to cut borrowing rates,” Manav Modi, Research Analyst for Precious Metals at Motilal Oswal Financial Services, said.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six currencies, slipped 0.34 per cent to 96.97, further aiding bullion prices.

“Market participants are awaiting Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s statement and projections this week, with a 25 basis points rate cut largely priced in after a long pause. US President Donald Trump called for Fed Chair Powell to enact a ‘bigger’ cut to benchmark interest rates via a social media post,” Modi added.

In the overseas markets, gold futures jumped to a record USD 3,736.97 per ounce. The momentum was also fuelled by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Adding to the uncertainty, a US appeals court rejected an attempt by President Trump to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook, a move seen as challenging the central bank’s independence.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott said the government would not impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods to encourage China to halt purchases of Russian oil unless European countries hit China and India with steep duties of their own.

“Investors will closely track US retail sales and industrial output data for further cues on the Fed’s monetary stance and the near-term direction of gold,” Modi added.

New Delhi, Sep 16: The Narendra Modi government is determined to wipe out all kinds of narcotics from the nation and is making an all-out effort to achieve this goal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday.

Addressing the Second National Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of States and Union Territories, he also said the time has come to change the scale of action against the drug menace so that there are more successes in the coming days.

The conference, organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), began here on Tuesday.

The home minister said Prime Minister Modi has set a target of 2047 to make India a fully developed and great nation. To achieve this dream of PM Modi, the country has to be fully secure, he said.

“The Modi government is determined to wipe out the drug menace from the country and is making all-out efforts to achieve this goal,” Shah said.

“PM Modi has set forth the vision of creating an India by 2047 that will be the world’s number one in every aspect and fully developed — a nation secure enough that no one can penetrate. For this, our youth are the biggest hope, and if they are determined, nothing is impossible, as they are the foundation of any nation.”

Shah said in some parts of the world, people have seen the link between a nation’s development and the challenge of drug abuse. “Unfortunately, two of the regions from where drugs are supplied globally are very close to us. So this is the time that we fight against it strongly,” he said.

The home minister said it is very important to save the young generation from drugs to achieve the goal of a fully developed India. The foundation of any great state is its young generation, Shah said.

Shah said there are three types of narcotics cartels — one that operates at all entry points of the country, another is the distribution from the entry point to the state, and the third are those that operate in small shops or kiosks, selling drugs.

“The time has come to deal a big blow to these three types of cartels. I believe that it can happen only when the officers responsible for working against drugs decide to take strong action against them,” the minister said.

The home minister also set in motion the process of destroying narcotics worth Rs 4,794 crore seized in different parts of the country.

On Monday, Shah said the Modi government was determined to eradicate the menace of drugs by uniting all ANTFs. He also released the NCB’s annual report 2024.

The NCB has been actively coordinating with the GST department, state drug controllers, Income Tax authorities and financial institutions to uncover the full extent of the drug diversion network.

Shimla, Sep 16: Heavy overnight rains pounded Himachal Pradesh, triggering floods and landslides that left three members of a family dead and submerged a bus stand in Mandi.

The three were killed when a house collapsed following a landslide in Boi panchayat in Nehri area of Sundernagar subdivision in Mandi district.

Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, Apoorv Devgan told PTI that three bodies have been recovered while two persons have been rescued,

Officials said the rains led to floods in Son and Bharand drains in Dharampur in Mandi district, resulting in flooding of a bus stand, damaging a workshop, pump houses, shops and over 20 buses.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri in his Facebook post said, “Dharampur bus stand, over two dozen HRTC buses, shops, pump house and workshop has been damaged”.

In Shimla, several vehicles were buried following a landslide near Himland in the heart of the city and the main circular road was blocked causing inconvenience to school- going children.

“It was raining heavily and around 1 am, we heard a deafening sound with trees and debris sliding down and immediately moved our vehicles to escape”, Gautam and Rahul Shukla, who were sleeping in their vehicle parked near Himland when the landslide occurred, said.