BSF beefs up security along Indo-Bangla border, launches crackdown on smugglers

Agartala: The Border Security Force (BSF) has beefed up security at sensitive outposts and launched a crackdown on smugglers and touts enabling human trafficking, a senior official said.

BSF Tripura Frontier Inspector General (IG) Patel Piyush Purushottam Das said that during recent talks in Shillong with Bangladesh Border Guards, a dossier containing a list of Bangladeshi criminals operating in the border areas has been handed over to the force of the neighbouring country.

“The BGB has assured us that action would be taken against them as per the law,” Das told reporters here on Saturday.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has recently highlighted the recent spike in infiltration along the international border in the northeastern state.

According to a senior officer, recently a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manik Saha was held to address the recent surge in infiltration activities along the Indo-

Bangladesh border. Chief Secretary J K Sinha, ADG (Law and Order) Anurag, DIG BSF S K Sinha, and other officials attended. Das said that both the border guarding forces have agreed to identify vulnerable stretches and conduct specially coordinated joint patrols.

He said that officers concerned have been asked to launch intelligence-based operations to nab the smugglers and touts.

He said additional teams are being deployed and special focus is being given to joint operations with state police. Das further said physical domination has been augmented with surveillance technology which includes AI-enabled cameras and facial recognition tools.

Meanwhile, DIG BSF S K Sinha said manpower on the border had been impacted by the recent general parliamentary election and BSF deployments in Manipur.

“We assure that coordinated efforts with all agencies will yield positive outcomes. Identifying and acting against middlemen will reduce infiltration incidents. The BSF is in the process of installing electronic surveillance gadgets at vulnerable areas along the border,” he added.