Notorious smugglers tried to smuggle drugs, gold, arms and cattle across the border.
New Delhi: Despite the ongoing Covid-19 crisis and a nationwide lockdown, Border Security Force (BSF) forces on the India-Bangladesh border were kept busy by notorious smugglers trying to smuggle drugs, gold, arms and cattle across the border.
The South Bengal Frontier of the BSF has thwarted at least 50 attempts of cross-border smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border in the last 63 days, at a time when the entire nation has been reeling under the grip of coronavirus.
The BSF has seized more than 200 cattle being smuggled into Bangladesh along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal during the period of lockdown.
Vigilant BSF forces posted along the porous India-Bangladesh border has also been able to seize more than 38,200 bottles of Phensedyl while they were being smuggled into Bangladesh.
Phensedyl is a cough syrup that used as a drug in Bangladesh, mostly by the youths in that country. Phensedyl is a very common drug available in Bangladesh and fetches a good amount of money for smugglers who smuggle these bottles into Bangladesh.
Apart from this, 11,471 Yaba tablets were seized by the BSF from smugglers involved in trans-border crimes, trying to smuggle these into Bangladesh along the South Bengal borders in West Bengal.
Yaba tablet is also one of the fastest growing party drugs in Bangladesh and this drug is a dangerous drug containing methamphetamine and caffeine, having the ability to alter brain activities.
BSF forces have also seized more than 630 gm of ganja (marijuana) and 558 gm of other narcotic drugs from smugglers along the India-Bangladesh border.
BSF Deputy Inspector General (South Bengal frontier) S.S. Guleria told The Sunday Guardian that the BSF is vigilant along the India-Bangladesh border and that the Force has been able to apprehend 84 criminals who were trying to carry out their notorious smuggling activities during the period of lockdown.
Among the 84 persons apprehended by the BSF, 78 are Indian nationals, while six are Bangladeshi nationals.
The porous border between India and Bangladesh is prone to smuggling and trans-border crimes and, therefore, BSF officials say that they have instructed all their patrolling forces and Border out Posts (BoPs) to be extra vigilant during this time as many criminals would be taking chances of smuggling along the border.
S.S. Guleria also told The Sunday Guardian that the BSF is well prepared to handle the cow smuggling menace along the India-Bangladesh border.
“Cow smuggling which was earlier one of the biggest menaces along the India-Bangladesh border has been controlled now; even then, our forces are well prepared to thwart any such attempt by smugglers. We understand that the monsoon season in coming and there would be some attempts made for smuggling of cows, but we are well prepared to tackle the situation,” S.S. Guleria said.