Jammu, July 30 (IANS) Police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district said on Thursday that a balloon bearing the name and logo of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was recovered from Azmatabad village in Thanamandi area of Rajouri district.
Officials said the white and red balloon had “PIA” printed on it.
Local residents recovered the balloon and handed it over to the police.
Police said the balloon has been recovered and an investigation launched to ascertain whether it has any significance beyond being a stray object.
Security agencies have intercepted numerous Pakistan-linked promotional and toy balloons across border districts in Jammu and Kashmir so far.
While most are benign inflatables drifted by the wind, authorities treat every instance seriously due to drone activity in the region.
In the recent past, in April, a Pakistani balloon was recovered in the Arnia sector of Jammu district.
In March, an aeroplane-shaped balloon with Urdu text reading “PIA” landed in the Sarhoti village of Rajouri district.
In February, two balloons recovered in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district carried a Pakistani Rs 5,000 note, a US dollar, and a Pakistani mobile phone number.
Again in February, in the R.S. Pura sector of Jammu, a green-and-white aeroplane-shaped balloon marked “PIA” was found alongside a yellow heart-shaped balloon.
In January, again in the Akhnoor sector, a promotional aeroplane-shaped toy balloon with PIA markings in English and Urdu was found by locals in an open field near the Line of Control (LoC).
Most of these objects are common commercial or celebratory items from Pakistan carried over by shifting winds, but security forces investigate to rule out espionage or signalling for any sinister design or message for some activity.
Investigations have revealed that cross-border actors routinely use drones to smuggle payloads, including narcotics or ammunition.
Any flying or drifting object triggers immediate area-domination protocols by the security forces and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
–IANS
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