Tripura: Illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis challenge, says BSF official

Cross-border crimes, especially illegal infiltration, have emerged as the biggest challenge for the BSF in guarding the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura, a top official said.

He said altogether 1,018 illegal infiltrators were detained while crossing the international border in the last one-and-a-half years.

“Cross-border crimes, smuggling of contraband items and infiltration have emerged as the biggest challenge for the troops to guard the 856 km borderline with Bangladesh,” BSF IG, Tripura frontier, Patel Pijush Purusottam Das, said at a press conference.

“During 2023, the influx of Rohingya illegal migrants and Bangladesh nationals has increased in the state. They are using the northeastern state as a corridor to reach different destinations in India. A well-established network of touts exist across the border which facilitate illegal migration,” Das said.

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A special operation was launched by NIA with the active assistance of BSF in November and December last year and 29 agents involved in illegal migration were arrested for their alleged involvement in human trafficking, he said.

“Prominent infiltration routes have been identified. This has considerably reduced the influx,” he said.

The IG said the BSF has taken initiatives to complete the fencing work on the border and deploy technological solutions.

“Currently, the Single Row Fence (SRF) work is in progress at eight gaps in stretches. The BSF has also taken initiatives at the local level to plug the nullah and culvert gaps to prevent illegal activities,” he said.

The paramilitary force has also installed smart surveillance systems to enhance border domination in most smuggling and infiltration-prone areas, the IG said.

Claiming that the BSF maintains good relations with its Bangladesh counterpart BGB, Das said six pending development projects were settled at the DG-level talks out of which three projects are from the northeastern state.

“During 2023 concurrence from BGB regarding the construction of SRF on 11 patches in the Indian territory within 150 meters of the international border, six fencing gaps have been removed so far and the process is on for the remaining unfenced spots,” he added.