Bangladesh border guards have recovered huge smuggled goods worth about Tk3.28 billion and rescued 494 women and children from human traffickers along the Bangladesh-India border in the last seven months, putting in the limelight the growing cross-border crimes.
Sources at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters said 959 people were arrested by members of the paramilitary force on charge of smuggling during the period January 1 to July 31, says a UNB report.
The BGB members also rescued 390 women and 104 children while they were being trafficked out of the country, especially to neighbouring India, and arrested 13 alleged traffickers during the period.
Besides, they seized 3,20,201 bottles of Indian intoxicating Phensidyl syrup; 3,08,900 sex-stimulating Yaba tablets, 90,900 bottles of foreign liquor, 3,171 litres of local liquor, 6,607 cans of beer, 2826 kgs of hemp, and 25 kg of heroin during the seven months.
According to the sources, a total of 14,748 cases were filed with different police stations across the country in connection with the recovery of the smuggled goods and narcotic items.
Of the smuggled goods, contrabands worth about Tk 306.50 crore were seized while being smuggled into the country and goods worth about Tk 21.61 crore while being smuggled out of the country.
A total of 145 cases were filed with different police stations in connection with the human trafficking bid during the seven months, the sources added.