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Cattle smuggling along Indo-Bangla border is tough now: BSF IG

by IBNS 14 May 2015, 11:17 pm

Kolkata, May 15 (IBNS) Cattle smuggling to Bangladesh along the porous Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal is a long standing problem. But with the BJP-led government in New Delhi taking up the matter seriously and as its policy to protect cows by stopping its slaughtering for beef, the Border Security Force (BSF) is cracking its whip on the cattle smugglers leading to a drastic climb down in smuggling of the animal. As a result the beef prices in Bangladesh have shot up too, said reports. Of the 4096 km Indo-Bangladesh border, West Bengal shares 2216.7 Km and along this border- both land and riverine- smuggling of goods and animals is an everyday activity. In 2015 till March, BSF has auctioned 23, 253 cattle after their capture along the border: Sujoy Dhar spoke to Mr. Sandeep Salunke, Inspector General, South Bengal, Border Security Force (BSF), on the recent anti-cattle smuggling drive along the border.

Q: We know that a crackdown on cattle smuggling is a priority of this government in New Delhi. So what measures have you taken in recent times to stop cattle smuggling? 
 
Ans: There have been many measures of late to stop cattle smuggling, from more deployment of manpower along the BOPs (border outposts) to use of pipes to bolster the fencing. We have introduced from December speed boats in the river Icchamati (North 24 Parganas district) for effective patrolling. The outcome is very effective. For the ground troops who go on foot from one place to another it was difficult to reach at the spot, while in each speed boat we can have five to six people and they are numerically stronger. There is the benefit of the boat itself. Now it is difficult for the smugglers to cross the river with cattle. We particularly introduced speed boats in an area called Angrail in North 24 Parganas district which is notorious for cattle smuggling. 
 
Because large parts of the border are still unfenced, we have dug ditches now to make it difficult for cattle smugglers to cross to the other side with the animals. We are depending more on intelligence based operations too. We get information of movements of smugglers with cattle  and the bordermen rush to those areas to prevent the smuggling. 

Q. So what is the outcome of this drive?

Ans: There has been 85 percent drop in cattle smuggling in past four months. From 1,90,000 cattle being smuggled in a four month period in 2014, the figure has dropped to 27,000 in past three to four months. The cattle smugglers used to come in the darkness of night and cut the barbed wire fence. We have now plugged the gap by introducing GI pipes which are difficult to cut. Cutting a pipe is also noisy and so our border troopers are alerted when they try to do so. 
  
 
Q. BSF has been often accused of being trigger happy and committing excesses along the border. How do you react to it?

Ans: We have always acted in self-defence.  It is not true that we are trigger happy. BSF troopers are all trained personnel and they fire only when they are forced to, mostly in self-defence or when provoked. Remember, that these smugglers are criminals, they are not ordinary people. 
 
 
Q. BSF itself has often been accused of involvement in smuggling racket.

Ans: I cannot say that it never happens. But those are stay incidents. As rule we do not even allow the BSF guards to carry mobile while on duty. We do a lot of surprise checks. We are enforcing the rules more strictly now. I do not rule out connivance sometimes, but it is nothing serious so far. We have such a tough stance on this that any individual doing so will do at his own judgement and risk. 
 
  
Q. What kind of cooperation or non-cooperation do you find from the Bangladesh side?
 
Ans: We now have very good relations with the Bangladesh counterparts. Our Inspector General level talks are scheduled in May. In December both the Director General (DG) of Border Guard Bangladesh and DG of BSF met and agreed on intensifying vigil in vulnerable areas. We have more night patrol now after the meeting and Bangladesh has taken some measures to stop smuggling of Phensedyl (cough syrup use for addiction).