Pigeons hole into security on Indo-Pak border

The flight of pigeons on the Indo-Pak border in Punjab has become a matter of concern for security officials manning the border.
 
Pigeons bearing mobile numbers and addresses often fly into the Indian side from Pakistan that has aroused suspicion among officials.
 
Pigeons are a major hobby in Lahore and in some villages in Punjab along the border. While people in border villages say they keep training their pigeons to go across the border, befriend Pakistani pigeons and sell them for a price ranging between Rs400-Rs500 apiece, senior officials on the border do not rule out possibility of a design in it that might be serving smugglers or spies on either side of the border.
 
Last year a Pakistani pigeon caused a flutter when it landed at the Daoke police post on the border bearing an Islamabad phone number. The police handed it over to the Wild Life department after inconclusive investigation.
 
"Smugglers on both sides of the Indo-Pak border at Attari might be  using pigeons to transmit messages fearing interception of their messages through landlines or mobiles", said a senior police officer in Amritsar. He did not rule out possibility of  light consignments of narcotics tied to pigeons being "flown off" to the Indian side.

Officials believe smugglers might as well be organising these kind of competitions to carry out their illicit operations.

Ram Singh, DIG, Amritsar, said "drug peddling is quite a lucrative trade and anti-social elements may resort to any means for mega bucks, even if it amounts to using pigeons to supply narcotics. But have doubts but so far, we have not so far come across any such case."