Cross-border drug trafficking has risen exponentially since 2021, with Punjab being the most affected state (representative image)

NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Wednesday said drone-assisted, cross-border drug trafficking has risen exponentially since 2021, with Punjab being the most affected state, accounting for 298 of the 305 countrywide drone-related drug trafficking incidents last year.Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, junior home minister Nityanand Rai said nearly 460 kg of narcotic drugs, including 448 kg of heroin, 9 kg of methamphetamine and 3 kg of opium was seized in actions against drone-assisted trafficking.“Trends of cross border narcotics infiltration reveal that drug trafficking syndicates operating across the border have increasingly been employing sophisticated methods such as drones, GPS-enabled consignments, encrypted communications and local receiver networks to infiltrate heroin, methamphetamine, arms and ammunition into India,” Rai informed the Rajya Sabha.