AGARTALA, August 14 (TIWN): Despite minimum distance of 1 KM between each Border Security Force camp (BSF) camps in the Indo-Bangla Tripura border area, intrusion and smuggling of contraband goods is on a rise. At present there are 248 BSF camp in Tripura along the Indo-Bangla border area. The BSF routinely seizes cattle headed for Bangladesh and arrests smugglers in Tripura but that is not making any noticeable dent on the business. The smugglers in Bangladesh resort to innovative ways to take away Indian cows across the border where they are in big demand for their beef and hide. Drug smuggling has increased along the India-Bangladesh border while the BSF of 248 camps appears to be silent over this issue.Plantations of cannabis are done on a large scale in the interior and inaccessible areas of the border region.

 Since most of these plantations are tucked away in hills and forests. According to officials, a large number of villagers in Tripura cultivate cannabis and smuggle it to Bangladesh to earn money.

"There is a huge demand for cannabis in Bangladesh, and Tripura plays a key role in meeting this demand.

The BSF camps are set up at a minimum distance of 1 KM and a Maximum distance 9.62 KM from each camp and still smuggling is on a rise.

Smuggling of contraband items and cattle’s across Tripura to Bangladesh has become an everyday issue. Despite the wire fencing across the border lane Tripura become the hub for transport of the prohibited goods.

Apart, smuggling of Phensedyl a cough syrup, with an exceedingly high dose of codeine and other contraband items are increasing day by day in the state. A section of people alleged that due to the under table connection between police and smugglers the police are not doing anything to stop the smuggling of Phensedyl and contraband items.

Every day contraband items worth lakhs and lakhs of rupees are being intruded to Bangladesh as it brings huge income.