The Border Security Force (BSF) in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal Saturday night recovered a drone near the sensitive India-Bangladesh border.

The discovery in the Durgapur-Barojdihi village, more than 2,000 metres inside the Indian territory from the border, raised concerns, especially in light of recent drone attacks from Pakistan along the northwest borders of the country. However, BSF sources quickly reassured the public, saying that the recovered drone is likely a consumer-grade device rather than something with more sophisticated or potentially malicious applications.

“The drone recovered in Murshidabad is like the one commonly used by photographers to cover events,” said a BSF source, highlighting its limited capabilities.

“This drone only has a range of 400-500 metres, flying time of 15-20 minutes, depending on the battery being used, an inbuilt 4k camera and no load carrying capacity,” the source added.

As per officials, there is a clear distinction between this particular drone and more advanced models that have been subjects of recent discussions in relation to the India-Pakistan conflict.

“Therefore, it should not be seen and equated with the kind we have been listening to these days,” the BSF source said, adding that the investigation into the drone’s origin is now in the hands of local law enforcement.

“The recovered drone was handed over to the Shamsergunj police station, and the local police are trying to find the owner,” said the source.

Authorities at the Shamsergunj police station have now been tasked with identifying the drone’s owner and determining the reasons behind its presence in the border region.

India’s northwest states saw several drone attacks by Pakistan in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces’ strikes targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok) after midnight on May 6. Operation Sindoor was in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed in Kashmir on April 26.