24 persons have been arrested and Rs. 71.45 crore worth smuggled goods seized on Indo-Bangladesh border in 2011-12. The contraband smuggled includes Fake Indian Currency Notes, readymade garments, food grains, cattle, cigarettes and medicines, narcotics (including phensedylsyrup). This was stated by Shri Mullappally Ramachandran, Minister of State of Home Affairs in written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
The Government has adopted a multi-pronged approach for effective domination and to check illegal activities including infiltration on Indo-Bangladesh border. The steps taken in this regard inter-alia includes:
· Effective domination of the border by carrying out round the clock surveillance of the borders by patrolling nakas (border ambushes) and by deploying observation posts all along the International Border. Riverine segments of IB are being patrolled and dominated with the help of water crafts/speed boats/floating Border Out Posts (BOPs) of BSF water wings.
· Construction of fencing, patrol roads, floodlighting and additional Border Out Posts.
· Induction of force multipliers and Hi-Tech surveillance. Constant efforts are being made to procure the latest surveillance equipments for further enhancing the border domination.
· Up-gradation of intelligence network and co-ordination with sister agencies. Conduct of special operations along with border.
There are reports of Bangladeshi nationals having entered into India without valid travel documents. As entry of such Bangladeshi nationals into the country is clandestine and surreptitious, it is not possible to have a correct estimate of such illegal immigrants living in different states in the country, he said.
