Kolkata, Sep 27 In a major crackdown against cattle smuggling, the Border Security Force (BSF) nabbed five smugglers, including two Bangladeshis, and recovered 32 heads of cattle along the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) in West Bengal's Malda district on Friday.
The smugglers were attempting to take the cattle across the River Ganga, which flows as a natural boundary between India and Bangladesh in Malda when they were arrested.
"The incidents occurred at Baishnabnagar and Aradhpur in Malda where the IBB is riverine and unfenced. The smugglers were attempting to use the rising water level of the Ganga to move the cattle to Bangladesh. They even attacked the BSF jawans with sharp weapons but retreated after the border guards opened fire in self-defence. The first incident took place around 3.10 am on Friday when troops of the 88 Bn BSF from the Kedaripara Border Outpost spotted 5-6 smugglers moving cattle near the Dalla village, about 500 metres from the IBB. After the shots were fired, the smugglers took advantage of the darkness and tried to flee. Two of them were arrested though, with six heads of cattle. Both of them are Bangladeshis," a senior official of the South Bengal Frontier, BSF, said.
In another incident, troops of the 115 Bn BSF from the Nimtita Border Outpost, who were out on a patrol in a speedboat, managed to nab three Indian smugglers and recovered six more heads of cattle. Twenty more heads of cattle were recovered by troops of the Bajitapur, Taltoli, Kathakali, and Sowapur Border Outposts, the official claimed.
The Indian smugglers are from Lohpur in the Murshidabad district and Sowapur in Malda. During interrogation, they claimed that they were offered Rs 1,500 for every head of cattle that they managed to take across into Bangladesh.
The Bangladeshis, identified as Mohammad Rubel and Amanurla, from border villages Dwarpal and Jugidanga in the Naugaon district in Bangladesh were apparently offered 4,000 Bangladeshi Takas for each head of cattle. All five have been handed over to the police.
The rescued cattle will be handed over to the Dhyan Foundation after e-tagging.
--IANS
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