BSF Mizoram Cachar Frontier effected seizures worth Rs 47.48 crores in 2021: IG Sonowal
Silchar, Jan 23: The Inspector General of Border Security Force Mizoram and Cachar Frontier Mridul Kumar Sonowal on Saturday said that the Force has made significant strides in safeguarding the border in this region with full vigour amidst tough challenges.
In an interaction with the media, the IG said, "During 2021, the Mizoram and Cachar Frontier seized 340 cattle heads, 6,13,496 Yaba tablets, 480 kg ganja, 149.84 kg opium, 1.9kg heroin, 609 gms brown sugar, 1,569 bottles of IMFL, 43,900 of Foreign cigarettes and recovered six pistols, four magazines along with four rounds of ammunition, 459 kg of Hilsa Fish, Indian currency worth Rs 65,39,773 and 2, 55,250 Bangladeshi Taka and other contraband items with a total market value of Rs 47,48, 75,893."
Sonowal also informed that 78 Indian nationals, 11 Bangladeshi nationals and one Myanmar national involved in criminal and smuggling activities were arrested.
In 2020, the market value of the items seized was Rs 4, 27, 94,923. "The seizure of cattle, Yaba tablets, brown sugar and ganja have increased manifold in 2021 as most of the seizures were made in the hinterland and on most operations, our men along with sister agencies including the Police, DRI, NCB, Narcotics and the Excise Department officials have been able to nab the culprits along with the items," he added.
The BSF IG further said that owing to the extension of the jurisdiction from previous 15kms up to 50kms now courtesy a recent Gazette Notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India in October last year, the BSF personnel can now exercise the powers conferred upon them up to 50kms of the area in Assam. This has immensely helped the Force to curb criminal activities along the borders, Sonowal maintained.
The BSF IG also informed that despite being affected by COVID-19, the BSF personnel never let the guards down and maintained vigil along the borders. Also the BSF men along the Mizoram and Cachar Frontier joined hands with all stakeholders, particularly the local administration to run various awareness programmes to educate the border population besides providing them essential commodities during the lockdown due to the spread of COVID-19.
Asked on the steps towards checking fake appointments in the Force especially with regard to a recent incident of youths from Gorakhpur being trapped with fake appointments, IG Sonowal said that the youths must rely on the government and official sources of recruitment drives and pay no heed to the touts.
