Chandigarh, Dec 16 (IANS): Border Security Force (BSF) troopers shot dead a Pakistani smuggler, arrested two Indian smugglers and seized 17 kg of heroin from near the international border in Punjab's Gurdaspur sector, a BSF spokesman said Tuesday.

The drugs consignment is valued at Rs.85 crore in the international market.

The spokesman said the heroin, in 17 packets, was found near the K.P. Jattan border outpost in Gurdaspur sector, nearly 300 km from here.

"BSF personnel successfully interdicted a Pakistani smuggler, apprehended two Indian smugglers and recovered 17 packets of heroin along with two Pakistani mobile phones, two Pakistani SIM cards and two small packets of opium on the Punjab border," the spokesman said.

This was a joint operation of BSF troopers and the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of the Punjab Police based in Amritsar.

He said the BSF troopers challenged the smugglers near the border on seeing suspicious movement. The smugglers fired at the BSF troopers who then retaliated.

Two other Indian smugglers escaped under the cover of darkness, foggy conditions and sugarcane crops.

With the latest incident, the BSF has seized 356.35 kg of heroin this year in the Punjab sector. The seizure last year (2013) was 322 kg.