Guwahati, Jan 24 (PTI) Border Security Force’s Guwahati Frontier division has nabbed 141 Indian smugglers and 117 Bangladeshi smugglers in 2021 and also rescued 8,125 cattle, a senior officer said on Monday.
BSF Inspector General (Frontier HQ) Sanjay Singh Gehlot said the force is deploying modern technology-based surveillance systems to prevent criminal and illegal activities along India’s international border with Bangladesh.
“We have apprehended 141 Indian smugglers and 117 Bangladeshi smugglers during the period between January 26 last year and January 24, 2022,” he said at a press conference here.
Gehlot claimed that infiltration into India from across the border has come down to almost nil due to joint initiatives taken by the BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
“During the said period, the Guwahati Frontier has made a total seizure worth over Rs 11 crore. These include 8,125 cattle heads, contraband drugs and fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) of face value of nearly Rs 4 lakh,” he added.
The IG said BSF is having a close coordination with Assam Police to stop smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh.
The Guwahati Frontier division guards 509 km of Indo-Bangla border along Coochbehar district in West Bengal and Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar districts in Assam with 11 battalions and one water wing.
Gehlot said BSF has recently received government approval to deploy new technology for advanced surveillance along the border to prevent crime and illegal activities.
“We are deploying new sensors, cameras, command control, drones and night vision equipment among other items to improve our border guarding capabilities. We are also replacing the old border fence with a better one. The new fence is not easier to cut open,” he added.