Multi-pronged strategy to curb influx through Tripura, says BSF IG

Agartala: The Border Security Force (BSF) in Tripura has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to prevent trans-border crime and illegal infiltration following a sudden spike in cross-border smuggling and illicit movement of Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals, IG BSF Tripura Frontier Patel Piyush Purushottam Das here on Thursday.
According to the record, as many as 163 migrants, including 126 Bangladeshis, 29 Rohingya and six Indian touts who facilitated illegal entry into Indian territory for onward travel to different parts of the country and claimed to be searching for jobs were arrested in Tripura in last one month.
“Most of them have been detained by police at the railway station or airport,” police said.
Despite wire fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border across 95%of stretches and round-the-clock surveillance of BSF, such a large number of illegal migrants crossing over raised a question about India’s border management and integrity of the border guards.
The chief minister, while reviewing the border management issues with the security forces here last month, had expressed concern over the happenings and sought stringent action. The coordination meeting between the officials of ministry of external affairs and the state govt early this week also discussed the issue critically.
However, BSF IG in a release said the troops on the border have been augmented, especially in areas that are vulnerable to smuggling and infiltration. Surveillance has been stepped up and state-of-the-art hand held thermal imagers and srones have been inducted.
The IG BSF and assistant high commissioner of Bangladesh to Tripura held a meeting on Thursday on illegal migration from Bangladesh, trans border smuggling and development work along the border.