Cattle Smuggling Operation
Suddenly, cattle smuggling has risen on the India Bangladesh International Border and the adjoining areas. Acting on a tip off, special Mobile Check Post (MCP) party of BSFI 40-Battalion under Jalpaiguri (District) Sector of North Bengal Frontier in Indian State of West Bengal on 15th January, 2024, observed movements of heavy trucks on National Highway (NH) 31-D nearby Panikauri Toll Plaza. Those trucks were coming from Fatapukur area to Jalpaiguri side of Jalpaiguri district.
International Border Guards, Border Security Force of India (BSFI) MCP Party intercepted those five heavy trucks loaded with many large Buffalos. When the BSFI party asked the drivers of the heavy vehicle to produce legal documents for carrying the huge buffalos in the vehicle, the truck drivers were not only unable to produce any valid papers but also incapable of giving satisfactory answers.
In addition to this, the BSFI party detained 14 Indian Nationals (Drivers, Co-Drivers & Helpers) and seized five heavy trucks bearing an Uttar Pradesh number UP-21 CN 4722, two Jharkhand numbers JH-08 J 0290, UP-23 AT 1256, a West Bengal number WB-91 8548 and a Bihar number BR-11 GE 5780.
The BSFI party also seized 240 Buffalos (including eight dead buffalo) from those heavy vehicles. The BSFI party also recovered 14 Mobile Phone and Indian Currency Rs. 60,240.00 from the possession of apprehended persons. Total value of seized items is worth Rs. 01,26,50,614.00.
According to the BSFI sources, “Those 14 apprehended Indian Nationals along with seized items were handed over to Jalpaiguri PS. Of them, seven are from Bihar State, five are from Uttar Pradesh State and two are from Assam State.
The apprehended cattle smugglers are Irfan (52-years-old), son of Rajudeen, who resided in Harsoli village under Police Station (PS) Shahpur in Muzaffarnagar district of Indian State of UP, Tamsur Alam, alias Chanwa (18-years-old), son of Late Saifuddin, dweller of Danglaghat hamlet under Baisi PS in Purnia district of Indian State of Bihar, Anil (40-years-old), son of Raj Bahadur, inhabitant of Miya Tola Kora village under Jahanabad PS of Fatehpur district in UP, Saidur Hussain (40-years-old), son of Late Khobirudeen Sheikh, denizen of village and PS-Gouripur in Dhubri district of Indian State of Assam, Mohiruddin Sheikh (34-years-old), son of Habibur Rahman Sheikh, resided at vill-Number-03 Shimalitpur, under Gosaigaon PS, in Kokrajhar district of Assam, Faijan Ali (39-years-old), son of Enaiet Ali, resident of Shaoran village under PS-Shahpur in Muzaffarnagar district of UP, Ashu Khan (38-years-old), son of Shaid Khan, who initiated in vill and PS-Budhana in Muzaffarnagar district of UP, Meraj Alam (19-years-old), son of Najmul Haque, who resided Dangrahat hamlet under Baisy PS, in Purnia district of Bihar, Alaudeen (32-years-old), son of Abu Bakar, resident of Kathalbari under Balrampur PS in Katihar district of Bihar, Ansur Alam, son of Jarjas Ali, who lives in Kiyanagar (Kathal Bari) hamlet under Balampur in Kishanganj district of Bihar), 21-years-old Muhammad Maniruddin Sheikh, son of Muhammad Siddhi, an inhabitant of Dangarhat village under Balrampur PS in Katihar district of Bihar, Muhammad Farjan (33-years-old), son of Anrhan, resided at Jalalpur village under Kunonki PS of Moradabad district of UP, 26-years-old Satablaj Ali, son of Islam, denizen of Mahagaon village under PS and district of Kishanganj in Bihar and 24-years-old Soyeb Ali, son of Tafajul Ali, resident of Daulatpur under PS-Baisi in Purnia district of Bihar.
It is an Indian interstate nexus between Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.”
8th January Apprehensions
The aforementioned sources further revealed that apart from this, similarly on 8th January, 2024, BSFI caught four Indian Nationals (Drivers & Co-Drivers) along with one heavy truck loaded with 43 large buffalos on NH nearby Fulbari Toll Plaza of the Darjeeling district in Indian state of West Bengal and further handed over to PS at New Jalpaiguri of Darjeeling district. BSFI troops under Command Battalions of North Bengal Frontier carried out anti-smuggling drives in their respective areas in order to thwart any attempt to execute their nefarious design of smuggling from their areas and maintaining high alertness of highest order.
“It has proved that cattle smuggling is going on but not stopped at all…,” claimed local Writer-cum-Journalist, Subir Bhaumik, who resides near the Indo-Bangla International Border.
16th January Apprehensions
In this context it can also be mentioned here that on 16th December, 2023, the BSFI rendered three cow smugglers incapable of continuing their illegal activities in the Hatibandha area of Lalmonirhat district of Bangladesh, according to Lieutenant Colonel Mofazzal Hossain Akand, Commander of Lalmonirhat Battalion (BN) of 15-Border Guard of Bangladesh (known as, BGB).
“When a group of suspected Bangladeshi cow smugglers in dense fog at the Bannigara area, 150-yards from International Border Pillar Number (IBPN)-901 tried to cut the International Barbed Wire Border Fence (IBWBF) and to cross the aforementioned international border adjacent to the Daikhawa International Border Out Post (IBOP) or camp in the Hatibandha Upazila area, to prevent the suspected smugglers the BSFI opened fire on them from the Indian territory. The injured individuals were identified as 21-years-old, Rony Mia, who is the son of Harun Mia from the Daikhawa Azim Bazar area, while Sujon, a 22-years-old from the Gendikuri area and Hakim Mia, a 35-years-old from the Hatibandha Upazila region’s Gendikuri Bilupta Meet Mahal area, son of Asir Uddin,” disclosed Lance Nayek Muhammad Bashir Ullah of the Daikhawa IBOP camp of Lalmonirhat Battalion (15-BN-BGB).
He further claimed, “Around six or seven shots were fired in their direction by the Indian BSFI, Baramaricha IBOP or camp Patrol Unit, located in Coochbehar district of Indian State of West Bengal. The bullets wounded one of the three Bangladeshi smuggler’s hands and two had injured legs. The other companions ran away immediately. Two of the injured smugglers were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital of Rangpur district of Bangladesh, while the other is getting treatment at an alternative location.”
Data Source : Academia.edu
