Cattle smugglers from Bangladesh attack BSF team at the border in Cooch Behar

Improvised cantilever erected over the barbed wire fence by the smugglers

12^th November 2021 : Two Bangladeshi smugglers were killed by the Border Security Force (BSF) near the Indo-Bangladesh border at Sitai locality in Cooch Behar District of Bengal on 12^th November. One BSF trooper was also injured after smugglers attacked the BSF patrolling party which tried to stop them while entering Indian territory.

According to reports, the BSF team spotted some Bangladeshi smugglers trying to smuggle cattle by lifting them over the barbed wire fence using improvised cantilevers. They entered Indian territory using ladders out of iron bars to cross the fence.

When the BSF warned them to go back, the smugglers attacked BSF personnel with iron rods, sticks and sickles. One BSF personnel suffered injuries in the attack and he was rushed to the hospital.

Initially, BSF personnel utilised non-lethal weapons to deter miscreants but used force after the smugglers attacked them. Later, two bodies of smugglers were spotted near the international boundary.

Notably, the Union Home secretary Ajay Bhalla was set to visit Kolkata and meet Bengal Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi to discuss pending land acquisition for construction of border fence, road projects, Border Out Posts (BOPs), Integrated Check Posts (ICPs), and other issues. He was also set to meet officials of BSF, Coast Guard and District Magistrates from the border areas to discuss country’s security-related issues.

The Border Security Force which is deployed to guard the 4,096 km long Indo-Bangladesh border has made several attempts to restrict illegal smuggling and entry into the country.