Índia, Hindustan Times, Inglês

AGARTALA: The Border Security Force (BSF) has apprehended 14 Bangladeshi nationals and two Indian touts in a series of operations over the past week, as vigilance has been increased along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

“ In various independent and joint operations, the BSF apprehended 14 Bangladeshi nationals and 2 Indian touts and seized a significant quantity of narcotics, sugar, cattle, and other contraband items worth ₹2.5 crore,” said a senior BSF officer.

The BSF has busted several trans-border smuggling rackets, fake passport rackets, infiltration, and exfiltration, since January 26th this year. While drug smuggling, human trafficking, livestock smuggling, and the illegal movement of other contraband items have been taking place along the Indo-Bangla international border in Tripura, sugar smuggling has recently spiked.

The officer said the BSF has increased surveillance along Tripura’s international border following recent clashes with sugar smugglers, including assaults on BSF jawans.

The BSF, in strong coordination with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), has conducted around 80 joint patrols and held multiple border coordination meetings at various levels.

To address concerns of local populations near the border, BSF battalions held over 40 village coordination meetings with bordering communities.

Tripura has an 856-km-long international border with Bangladesh on three sides, but a few patches are yet to be fenced due to local disputes.