BSF not using lethal arms at India-B'desh border: Official

The BSF never fired and used lethal weapons while guarding the India-Bangladesh borders to check crimes, illegal cross border movement, infiltration and exfiltration, a top official said here on Thursday.

"...our troopers never did firing or using lethal weapons while guarding the India-Bangladesh frontiers. They maintained extreme restraint to deal with the border crimes including smuggling and cross border movement," BSF Inspector General(Tripura) Solomon Yash Kumar Minz told the media.

"Our main task currently is to curb drug smuggling. Though cattle smuggling has come down sharply, drug smuggling is rising," the official said.

Of the contraband valued at around Rs 33 crore seized along the 856 km India-Bangladesh borders with Tripura this year, around 3 lakh Yaba tablets worth Rs 17.57 crore have been seized this year while being smuggled to Bangladesh.

The BSF personnel had apprehended 236 people, including 53 Rohingyas this year during illegal cross border movement.

"India-Myanmar borders with Mizoram and Manipur are the main transit route of smuggling of Yaba tablets which contain a dangerous chemical compound. Our war against drugs will be further intensified," Minz said.

On the eve of the BSF's 55th Raising Day, the IG(Tripura) said that to reduce the psychological barriers between the border guarding force and the people, the para-military force has been undertaking a series of civic action programmes including motivation to join the BSF.

It has also started skill development of the youth living in the border villages. Along the Tripura border, 18 battalions of BSF have been deployed and out of the 856 km borders with Bangladesh only 67 km remained unfenced. Work is in progress to fence the remaining stretches of the borders, the official said.
IANS