BSF jawans
Credit: PTI Photo
Guwahati: Intensifying drive against infiltration from Bangladesh, BSF personnel posted along the border in Meghalaya arrested 78 nationals of the politically unstable nation since January for illegal infiltration and cross-border criminal activities.
The BSF troops also arrested 37 Indian nationals for aiding in infiltration and smuggling, the Meghalaya frontier headquarters of BSF said on Thursday.
"In spite of many constraints, vigilant BSF personnel successfully foiled multiple infiltration attempts and apprehended six touts involved in facilitating cross-border movements, which further helped police and law enforcement agencies to take action," it said.
BSF troops conducted several anti-smuggling operations, resulting in the seizure of contraband items and 750 cattle worth approximately Rs 11.70 crores. The seized items included yaba tablets, ganja, liquor, cosmetics, clothing, and other goods destined for illegal transport to Bangladesh.
Meghalaya shares a 443km border with Bangladesh but some stretches have still remained unfenced. This helps the cross border criminals and illegal infiltrators.
Political instability
The BSF personnel stepped up vigilance along the border in order to prevent illegal migration following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina government in July last year. The BSF earlier said there was an increase in infiltration attempts from across the border due to political instability in Bangladesh. Several Bangladeshis were similarly arrested by BSF and police in Assam and Tripura.
The BSF on Thursday further said it shared intelligence inputs with other enforcement agencies for breaking a country-wide network that assists illegal migration from Bangladesh and cross border smuggling.