BSF kills 2 Bangladesh nationals at Tripura border, seizes Rs 15 L worth Viagra pills
BSF officials said around 10 to 15 people crossed the barbed wire fence into Indian territory using wooden planks
Agartala, July 26: Two Bangladesh nationals were killed and another injured when Border Security Force (BSF) personnel opened fire to stop a smuggling attempt near Amzadnagar in South Tripura’s Belonia subdivision late Thursday night.
The group was trying to smuggle a large number of Viagra tablets across the border from Bangladesh’s Feni district. The incident has increased tensions along this section of the India-Bangladesh border.
BSF officials said around 10 to 15 people from Bangladesh crossed the barbed wire fence into Indian territory using wooden planks. Despite heavy rain, the smugglers advanced nearly 150 metres inside India, where a BSF trooper confronted them.
“When the trooper warned them to retreat, they threw stones at him. Some even came closer, forcing him to fire in self-defence,” a senior BSF officer said. The trooper, stationed within the fenced area, fired five to six rounds.
One of the smugglers, Md Litan Miah of Bashpaduya in Feni district, died on the spot. Two others were injured and taken back across the border by their group. One of them, Md Millat Hussain, died on the way to a hospital in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The third, Md Afsar Miah, is undergoing treatment.
BSF recovered two bundles of Viagra tablets meant for smuggling into Bangladesh. The seized items are estimated to be worth around Rs 15 lakh, officials said.
The BSF confirmed the group also included Indian smugglers working alongside the Bangladeshis. The force has raised concerns over increasing drug and pharmaceutical smuggling in the region.
Authorities on both sides of the border are expected to coordinate further action following the incident.