Smuggling and illegal migration worry BSF

Darjeeling: Cattle smuggling, drug smuggling and illegal immigration were major cause of concern for the BSF North Bengal Frontier, stated Ashwini K Singh, IG, BSF, North Bengal Frontier.

The IG addressed a gathering on the occasion of 55th raising day of the force at the Headquarters of the North Bengal Frontier at Kadamtala near Siliguri.

North Bengal Frontier guards the Indo- Bangladesh border spanning across an area of about 936 kms starting from Border Out Post (BOP) LN Pur in Dakshin Dinajpur upto BOP Mahanadi in Cooch Behar district.

This year North Bengal Frontier BSF troops have effected seizures worth Rs 12,78,02,445, including 7086 cattle, 53171 bottles of cough syrup as a substance abuse, 600g gold, 58359 Yaba tablets (drugs), 93 kg ganja, 8 firearms, 11,46,523 Bangladesh Taka, 5,400 US Dollars, 37 kg tortoise skin and 65 exotic birds.

The BSF apprehended 77 Indian smugglers; 51 Bangladesh smugglers; 79 Bangladeshi illegal immigrants; 2 Rohingyas and 2 Nigerians.

"We are committed to secure the border, safeguard people in the border areas, curb trans border crimes with emphasis on curbing illegal migration, human trafficking, smuggling of cattle and narcotics in the area under our responsibility" stated the IG.

He further added that 75 % of the border has been fenced thereby making infiltration difficult.

"In areas with difficult terrain like rivers and ravines we have force multipliers including surveillance equipment like thermal imagers. These equipment are shifted from one place to another based on need and intelligence inputs," added Singh.

Incidentally BSF was raised by incorporating State Armed Police Battalions on December 1, 1965 when the need for a specialized border guarding force was felt. Since then the BSF has been guarding borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.