SHILLONG: The smuggling of cattle from India to Bangladesh through the international border that Meghalaya shares with the neighbouring country has increased, the Meghalaya Frontier of the BSF has said.

“The alert BSF troops are heavily engaged in curbing this menace, which has suddenly increased in Meghalaya in the last few months,” a BSF spokesperson said.

“The 444-km Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya is interspersed with riverine areas, dense forests and hilly terrain, which provide ideal conditions for cattle smuggling. The increasing demand for cattle in Bangladesh and high profit lures smugglers to indulge in cattle smuggling despite heavy vigil by the border guards. Inclement weather also plays a supporting role for these criminals,” the spokesperson said.

“Frequent seizures by the BSF troops indicate attempts to smuggling cattle have shown a phenomenal increase this year at the international border in Meghalaya. Though desperation on the part of cattle smugglers is being seen as they are making very daring bids to cross over to Bangladesh, somehow they have not been successful yet,” the BSF said.

On Saturday, BSF troops deployed at Lyngkhat in East Khasi Hills district recovered 16 cattle, worth more than Rs 3.5 lakh, though the smugglers managed to give the slip. In another incident on the same day, BSF troops deployed at Hawaitilla in West Jaintia Hills and Jatrakona in South Garo Hills seized 37 cattle, worth more than Rs 7 lakh, before the animals could be smuggled to Bangladesh.

“The smugglers tried to smuggle cattle through the unfenced stretches of the border but the BSF jawans foiled their attempts. The smugglers have also tried to smuggle cattle by breaching fences on several occasions,” the BSF said.

“The BSF has stepped up its special drive against illegal intruders and has intensified its operations on the Indo-Bangladesh border to prevent nefarious designs of trans-border criminals and to maintain tranquillity in bordering areas of Meghalaya,” the BSF iterated.

