BSF and B’desh border guards to share probe reports in drug trafficking cases

One of the most common items smuggled is the Phendesyl cough syrup, a highly sought after medicine made in India and used as an intoxicant across the border

The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) have agreed to share interrogation reports of arrested drug traffickers as part of their joint initiative to crack down on cross-border smuggling. The two forces discussed this during the Director General Level Border Coordination Conference 2023 between the two countries held in the national Capital.

During the four-day meet, the chiefs of the two forces also agreed to conduct coordinated simultaneous patrols on both sides of the border (HT)

During the four-day meet, the chiefs of the two forces also agreed to conduct coordinated simultaneous patrols on both sides of the border, instruct field officers not to use excessive force while tacking border crimes, and working jointly on five different developmental projects. The Indian delegation was led by DG(BSF) Sujoy Lal Thaosen, while DG(BGB) Major General AKM Nazmul Hasan led the Bangladesh delegation.

Taking advantage of the porous land and riverine borders on the Indo-Bangladesh border that spans 4097.7 km across five eastern states, smugglers deal in everything from drugs to fish eggs to rare animals to fake currency to even Yaba tablets. One of the most common items smuggled is the Phendesyl cough syrup, a highly sought after medicine made in India and used as an intoxicant across the border. Between 2020 and 2023, BSF seized at least 1.2 million bottles of the common cough syrup that were to be smuggled to Bangladesh.

Officials said the value of the good smuggled runs into crores. For example, the force seized at least 198 kg gold in last three years. A 100 ml phensedyl bottle, which costs ₹100 in India is sold in Bangladesh for at least ₹1200

Thaosen said the two forces have agreed to work jointly and enhance joint patrolling. Major General Hasan said that the Bangladesh government has zero tolerance on the smuggling of cough syrups.

A BSF spokesperson said that the two forces have agreed to jointly work on five developmental projects at the border: a Bailey bridge over river Sonai; a school on the Bangladesh border; a protection wall along Bugai river on both the Indian and Bangladesh sides; repair of road near the border fence on both sides; and a 1440m road inside Bangladesh territory near the border.

Retired IPS officer, Prakash Singh, who was the chief of the BSF between 1993 and 1994 said sharing interrogation reports is part of sharing intelligence. “Interrogation reports contain the modus operandi of the crime, the recipients and other details. If this intelligence is shared and worked upon, it will be an advantage. Intelligence sharing must be happening informally at some level. But sharing IRs is a good move to counter inter-border crimes and get to the root of it. Coordinated patrolling sounds good but it has to be executed well on the ground ,” Singh said.