Border Security Force personnel on Thursday said they have intercepted a trained falcon along the Line of Control in Bikaner, ANI reported. Officials said that while no transmitter or antenna was found on the bird, they did find a tag tied to it, which has been handed over to the Anupgadh forest department.

BSF officials suspect the bird is owned by Saudi sheikhs in Pakistan, who use such falcons to hunt Houbara bustards, valued for their supposed aphrodisiac value.

Over the past few months, security personnel have caught several pigeons along the border region, fearing they have been trained with devious intent by Pakistan. On October 16, authorities announced that the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Investigation Department is looking into the possibility that 153 pigeons found being smuggled in the Valley were being used for espionage.

Diplomatic and military ties between the neighbouring countries took a hit after an Indian Army facility was attacked in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri on September 18. On September 29, the Indian Army announced that it had conducted surgical strikes against terror launchpads along the Line of Control.