In a crackdown on cross-border smuggling operations, the Border Security Force (BSF) has foiled an illicit trade attempt along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura with the arrest of five suspects and seized contraband worth over 20 lakh.
One of the major interdictions occurred on June 14 near the Dholakcheri Border Outpost in South Tripura.
Acting on intelligence inputs, BSF troops apprehended five individuals allegedly engaged in smuggling. Twelve cattle were rescued in the operation.
According to officials, the arrested individuals, who hail from the Gomati districts of South Tripura, are suspected to be part of a larger network of smugglers involved in the illegal cross-border trade exploiting porous stretches of the border.
On the same day, BSF personnel, at the Nirbhoypur Border Outpost in West Tripura, seized 47 brand new mobile phones concealed for illegal transport across the border into Bangladesh. The consignment, valued at approximately Rs 10 lakh, was intercepted just before crossing the international fence. The recovery underscores the rising trend of high-value electronics being smuggled into Bangladesh, often through nighttime operations.
A BSF spokesperson noted that the use of cattle, mobile phones, and foreign-manufactured goods continues to be a persistent challenge in Tripura, where difficult terrain and densely populated border villages often facilitate cross-border trafficking.
Tripura shares an 856-km-long international border with Bangladesh, of which over 67 km is still unfenced due to geographical hurdles.