Guwahati: Border Security Force officials met with Sribhumi residents to address rising tensions over cattle smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border. The Commandant of the BSF Balia Camp and SSP Leena Doley led the talks. They aimed to secure local help to choke off the illegal trade. Cattle smuggling plagues the Barak Valley.
The Commandant blamed local involvement for the persistence of the trade. Some Indian citizens act as key players in the movement of livestock. The Commandant stated, "efforts to completely stop cattle smuggling were being hampered by the involvement of some Indian citizens in the illegal trade." This cooperation makes it tough for guards to block the border.
Physical security is also failing. Barbed-wire fencing has been up for 15 years, far exceeding its eight-year life expectancy. Gaps in the wire allow smugglers to push cattle into Bangladesh. The Border Guard Bangladesh already provided a list of eight Indian citizens allegedly tied to the operation. The BSF now demands that locals report suspicious activity to authorities immediately to help identify the smugglers.
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