Ahead of Independence Day, Punjab Police on Monday saidthey foiled a major terror bid as they recovered a double-decker tiffin boxcarrying an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing two to three kilos alongthe Indo-Pak border in Amritsar that could be used for a high-value target.
State Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta toldthe media here that as per the past cross-border incidents the explosives couldhave been delivered via a drone from Pakistan.
Five hand-grenades and 100 cartridges were found in a bagthat contained the tiffin box in Daleke village on Saturday evening.
"Subsequently the NSG (National Security Guard) wasalerted and it reached the spot and started investigation," he said.
The DGP said an ex-sarpanch informed the police about thesighting of a drone on the night of August 7 that later returned towards theother side of the international border.
The police was put on alert and extensive search wascarried. During the search, an abandoned bag was found that carried sevennicely packed pouches that carried one plastic tiffin, five hand-grenades and100 cartridges.
An RDX weighing two-three kg, a switch and a remotecontrol device were also found.
"The explosive devised has a provision of switchmechanism for fixing time for explosion. There is a spring mechanism too. Alsothere is a magnetic mechanism with two magnets," the DGP explained.
Gupta said the devise also has circuit board to be usedfor remote mechanism. Three detonators were also found.
"It seemed all these components were packed by ateam of specialists. It was to be used for some high-value target," theDGP said, adding, "Right now we don't know about the target".
"Also we have no information that how many such IEDexplosives have landed in Punjab."
The DGP said the recovery of tiffin bomb IED in the statewas after a long gap. Earlier, such IEDs like transistor bombs were usedcommonly during the during militancy days in the state.
He said there has been noticeable increased cross-borderactivity in last two-three months. "This is very sinister and worrisomedevelopment," he said.
On the possible target for the tiffin bomb, the DGP saidit could have been meant for any target in the country and investigations wereon to find out the target and also for whom the consignment was meant.