80 patrols conducted along India-B'desh border, 40 village meetings held: BSF

Maintaining full cooperation with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), India's Border Security Force (BSF) has conducted nearly 80 simultaneous coordinated patrols along the India-Bangladesh frontiers in the recent past, officials said here on Saturday.

A BSF spokesman said that the two border guarding forces organised multiple border coordination meetings at various levels along the 856-km international border with Tripura.

BSF battalions have conducted more than 40 village coordination meetings in border areas to address the concerns of the local population, he added.

The BSF's Tripura frontier has enhanced vigilance and intensified its domination along the India-Bangladesh border.

Since January 26, BSF troops have successfully thwarted several attempts of infiltration, exfiltration, trans-border smuggling, and various other crimes along the border.

According to the spokesman, during various operations, conducted independently and jointly, 14 Bangladeshi nationals and two Indian touts were apprehended by the BSF.

Additionally, a significant quantity of narcotics, sugar, cattle, and other contraband items worth Rs 2.5 crore has been seized.

In various other joint operations with sister agencies, BSF troops carried out an extensive ganja destruction drive in remote areas, destroying more than one lakh matured plants cultivated illegally on around 60 acres of land.

The spokesman said that the BSF remains committed not only to maintaining a high level of alertness along the International Border but also to contributing to the vision of a "Drug-Free Society".

Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides, parts of which are still unfenced in patches due to local disputes on land and demarcation-related issues.

The BSF alone last year arrested 55 Rohingyas, 620 Bangladeshi nationals, and 260 Indian nationals, including human traffickers in various operations.

After the unrest began in Bangladesh in June-July, the BSF further intensified its all-out 24X7 vigilance to prevent cross-border movement, infiltration, and numerous crimes.