Pak infiltrators using Indo-Nepal border on the rise

Notwithstanding the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal, the porous Indo-Nepal border is increasingly being used by Pakistani militants and infiltrators since the last two years to sneak into India and move quickly to bigger cities to settle down.

While the number of infiltrators using the Indo-Nepal border was minimal in the past, there is a sudden spike in the last two years. In 2012 as many as 134 individuals and 245 families trespassed into India using the Nepal border, sources told Deccan Herald. Bulk of the infiltration took place in November and December.

Between 2007 and 2011, 196 individuals and 63 families crossed over, out of which 61 people and 15 families came in 2011, clearly suggesting western borders in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan were preferred more in the past.

The Indo-Nepal border continues to be active in 2013 as up to August around 40 individuals and 130 militant families came into India using six notified transit points and four little known gateways in the Terai. The Sashastra Seema Bal guarding the Nepal border has been put on high alert.

“Those who infiltrate can be used to generate mass protests against local issues. The children may be trained to take up arms in the future,” said a source in the intelligence community.

Monitoring these individuals and families is an additional burden to the local police stations, many of which are under-staffed and short of resources. Daily, there are almost 1,500 movements across the border on which the local police keep a tab. India’s 1,580-km long border with Nepal is a favourite zone for infiltration. While the known border posts at Raxaul, Buratnagar, Naxalbari and Saraul are under surveillance, there are many other entry points which are either unguarded or poorly guarded.

The sources said, along with these infiltrators who may be causing damage from the inside, terrorists may also sneak in for subversive activities.

The Inter-Services Intelligence and Lashkar-e-Toiba maintains safe houses in Nepal, which often come in handy in housing these terrorists and infiltrators for some time before they travel to India as tourists.

A big advantage of the Nepal route is avoiding stricter surveillance maintained for Pakistani nationals at other gateways.