Kolkata, April 28 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) thwarted major smuggling attempts along the India-Bangladesh Border (IBB) in the North 24-Parganas, Malda and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.
Four Bangladeshi smugglers were arrested in this connection.
Around 2.30 a.m. on Monday, troops of the 102 Bn BSF, posted at the Ghojadanga Border Outpost in North 24-Parganas, spotted suspicious movement by four persons from the Indian side towards the unfenced part of the IBB. An ambush team and jawans on duty immediately surrounded the four.
They confessed that they are Bangladeshis involved in smuggling narcotics from India.
A search led to the seizure of 21 kg Ganja, 24 litres of unpacked cough syrup and 364 bottles of Phensesdyl.
“During interrogation, one of the arrested smugglers revealed that he is involved in the distribution and supply of narcotics like Ganja , Phensedyl and Yaba tablets in the Satkhira region of Bangladesh. Further questioning revealed that he has been engaged in this illegal trade for the past five years, operating a wide network that includes several carriers and labourers,” said N K Pandey, DIG and spokesperson, South Bengal Frontier, BSF.
During further questioning, he admitted that he was arrested by the 33rd Battalion of BGB in January in a case of Phensedyl smuggling and released from Satkhira Jail in February after serving a sentence of 35 days.
The arrested smugglers and recovered contrabands have been handed over to the concerned department for further legal action.
In other incidents on the same day, a total of 2,453 bottles of banned Phensedyl and 43 fish pin balls (estimated value around Rs 11 lakh) were seized in separate operations along the IBB.
Two heads of cattle were also rescued from the clutches of smugglers. Pandey said that this was a successful operation against the illegal trade in narcotics substances. Such action helps in lowering the morale of criminals involved in such rackets.
–IANS
jayanta/pgh
