Shillong, Dec 1 (UNI) Inspector General of Border Security Force (BSF) Meghalaya Frontier, Inderjit Singh Rana on Thursday said one of the various aspects in encouraging the Rohingyas to enter into India through Meghalaya is the unfenced border in many areas of this sector.
“We have managed to erect fences on roughly about 75 percent of the 443 km of the border India shares with Bangladesh in the Meghalaya sector. In the rest of the areas efforts are on to complete the fencing,” Rana said during celebrations of the BSF’s 58th Rising Day at its headquarters here on Thursday.
“In several areas, the fencing has not come up due to the terrain and in other places due to factors such as nonacquisition of land and protest from locals to erect the fence from zero line,” he informed.
Noting that flood lights have been erected in 75 percent of the border areas where there are fences, the BSF official said, “We are using drones and cameras fitted with sensors and other force multipliers to assist border patrolling,”
Rana revealed that the National Investigation Agency in a special operation with the BSF has apprehended 30 Rohingyas trying to infiltrate into India through the Meghalaya sector this year.
“These Rohingyas were trying to sneak into India through East Jaintia Hills district, but the special operation with the NIA foiled the attempt earlier in September this year,” Rana said, adding that two Bangladeshi touts who were assisting these Rohingyas to cross over to India, were also arrested.
The BSF said, two Bangladeshis were apprehended and were identified as Raju Miya (36) of Mikir Para from Sylhet district and Md Nizam Uddin (36) of Mikir Para, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
“It cannot be ruled out that there are Indian handlers who are assisting the Bangladeshi touts. These touts were wanted by the NIA,” Rana said.
Rohingyas are ethnic minorities from Myanmar. Naypyidaw, however, rejects this claim and says Rohingyas are Bangladeshis living illegally in Myanmar and has brutally cracked down on this ethnic group forcing tens of thousands of Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh.
Ever since the crackdown in 2017, Rohingyas have been living in several internally displaced camps in Bangladesh.
Many have managed to enter India through the porous Indo-Bangla border and some made their way right up to Jammu and Kashmir and other cities of India.
Apart from the Rohingyas, the BSF has also managed to apprehend 32 Bangladeshis and 61 Indians who were trying to infiltrate or sneak out along the border areas.
BSF officials said such infiltrations are occurring in and around Ratacheera, East Jaintia Hills due to its proximity to Assam’s Barak Valley district as the Rohingyas can mix easily with the local population.
Rana also informed that the BSF has seized smuggled items worth over Rs 25 crore which include cattle, drugs & narcotics, gold and other items in the past year within the Meghalaya frontier. UNI RRK SSP