Punjab erected an invisible wall behind the border, more than 2291 CCTV cameras installed at 585 places in the border belt.

The war against gangsters in Punjab is no longer limited to encounters and arrests, but has now decisively reached the state’s borders, where a quieter but much more strategic battle is being waged.

Under ‘Gangster War’, Punjab Police is rapidly strengthening the ‘second line of defense’. A deep, technology-based security system that aims to cut off the lifelines of organized crime networks that operate through cross-border connections. While the Border Security Force (BSF) is guarding the international border, the Punjab Police is ensuring that even if any illegal material comes from across the border, it does not reach very far.

CCTV cameras installed at 585 places

More than 2291 CCTV cameras have been installed at 585 locations along the border belt, creating a dense surveillance net at sensitive villages and transit routes. Apart from this, 41 police stations in the border districts have also been brought under the ambit of CCTV surveillance, thereby developing a comprehensive system of monitoring and immediate action. But it is not just a matter of increasing surveillance, but a strategy to make it effective.

At the ground level, checkpoints have now become more precise and less predictable, supported by real-time intelligence. Vehicle checks are no longer routine, but have become targeted and information-based. Anti-drone surveillance has also been strengthened in view of incidents of dropping consignments of weapons and narcotics through drones.

Suhail Qasim Mir, SSP, Amritsar Rural, said, “The second line of defense is where the chain of crime is effectively broken. Border sealing is the first layer, but if there is a violation, it is immediately stopped within our jurisdiction. Our checkpoints are no longer simple checkpoints; they are deployed and operated as per intelligence-based, verified inputs.”

He further added, “Also, village level defense committees and local networks have been integrated into the security infrastructure to continuously monitor activities on the ground. We are also continuously strengthening critical infrastructure, surveillance systems, mobility and rapid response mechanisms, so that this layer is capable of both preventing and disrupting crime.”

Highlighting the change, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that strengthening the second line of defense is a central part of the state’s anti-gangster strategy. “We are deepening our policing. The focus is on dismantling the entire ecosystem—from cross-border supply to last mile delivery. The second line of defense ensures that any attempt is detected at an early stage and immediately neutralized,” he said.

Changes for those keeping an eye on Punjab’s policing

For those keeping an eye on Punjab policing, this is a clear change. The focus now shifts from responding to crime after it has occurred, to dismantling the systems that make crime possible. Because every intercepted drone drop, every suspicious vehicle identified and every activity monitored through CCTV networks undermines the entire system that supports gangsters, many of whom operate from abroad.

There is another important aspect to this strategy. Border villages are now being seen not just as sensitive areas but as active participants. Local intelligence is being systematically incorporated into the policing framework, with village-level vigilance and information coming from community networks further strengthening the intelligence network.

This strategy is multi-layered, well-planned and more disruptive than direct action. Where earlier the question was who fired the bullet, now the focus is on knowing how the weapon reached there.

As the ‘Gangster War’ progresses, Punjab’s second line of defense is emerging as its most decisive front. An invisible wall that not only stops the threat, but also gradually destroys the entire network behind it.