Cattle smuggling to Bangladesh is on the rise not only in Assam but in west Bengal as well. This time smugglers have come up with a new and silent technique of taking these animals out of India through swollen rivers. The cattle are tied to banana trunk on both sides and set afloat the river with the currents, which take them to the destination.

This instance has alarmed the Border Security Force (BSF), which has compelled them to deploy more troops, motorboats and surveillance equipment in order to prevent the act.

BSF DIG SS Guleria said that they had received a tip off that not less than 200 cattle have been smuggled into Bangladesh from several West Bengal villages such as Sovapur, Parlalpur, Pahaghati, Fultala, Lalpur, Dhangra, Kamalpur and Dhulian in Malda and Murshidabad.

So far, BSF in Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia have been successful in rescuing 261 animals from the Ganga and the Padma. Simultaneously, three suspected smugglers from Bangladesh have also been arrested. Search for their associates are underway.

Modus Operandi

These cattle are tied to banana trunks on either side after which smugglers push them into the rivers in spate. The limbs of the lot are also tied with plastic ropes so that the animals can not change their course during the float. As they reach the other side, Bangladesh smugglers pull them out.

The smugglers then pay their Indian counterparts based on the code inscribed on the cattle.

According to reports, Bangladesh needs cattle at a large extent and with festivals approaching, the demand rises.

(Featured Image: BSF)