Agartala, July 06: The Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified its operation against touts and trans-border criminals in order to clamp down on the influx of Bangladeshi nationals and smuggling of contraband items in the state. 

IG BSF Patel Piyush Purushottam Das, while addressing the media, stated that the manpower has been beefed up in the sensitive border outposts and a special operation has been launched to crack down on the network of touts and smugglers in the bordering areas. He stated that BSF has a zero tolerance policy against all such activities and the field commanders have been briefed to launch intelligence based operations to nab the touts.

He further said that physical domination has been augmented with state of the art surveillance technology which includes AI enabled cameras and facial recognition tools.

Gaps in border fencing are being plugged using improvised methods. Additional teams are being deployed in depth areas and special focus is being given to joint operations with state police and sister agencies the results are already visible on ground and in the current calendar year.

He said, seizure of contraband worth Rs 29 crore has been made and 198 Bangladeshi nationals and 12 Rohingyas were apprehended. A huge haul of narcotics and psychotropic drugs amounting to Rs. 32 crore has also been effected.

The BSF IG further said that in the recently concluded IG BSF- Regional Commander BGB talks at Shillong from 1st July to 4th July, a dossier containing list of Bangladeshi touts and criminals has been handed over to BGB and further BGB has assured to take action against them as per the law of land. 

Both the border guarding forces further agreed to identify vulnerable patches along the border and enhance the special coordinated patrol which is done jointly. 

A decision was also arrived to share the telephone numbers at field commander level to enable sharing of real time information. The Inspector General concluded by saying that this multi-dimensional approach will ensure a safe and secure border in the state of Tripura.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, in a recent meeting with BSF officials, has expressed his concerns over the spur in infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into India Territory through Indo-Bangla international border in Tripura and rising cases incidents of human trafficking as well as border crimes.