(IN): Army concerned over spurt in cattle smuggling

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Army concerned over spurt in cattle smuggling

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From Our Correspondent

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http://www.theshillongtimes.com/

 

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*Guwahati:* The Army keeping vigil against insurgents and proliferation of

Muslim Fundamentalist Organisations (MFOs) in areas close to Indo-

Bangladesh border in western Assam has raised concern over spurt in cattle

smuggling from India to Bangladesh across the porous border.

 

An army source informed that the force had on several occasion apprised the

government about the danger posed by the rise in cattle smuggling across the

unfenced India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri sector in West Assam.

 

The cattle are brought from states like Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh,

Bihar and West Bengal for smuggling into the Bangladesh. The Army wants

these cattle to be stopped at Srirampur check-gate on the inter-state

boundary between Assam and West Bengal.

 

The cattle are smuggled into Bangladesh mainly through the 32-kilometre long

stretch of unfenced river border in Dhubri sector, even though the BSF

personnel manning the border are trying their best to prevent big herds of

cattle being taken across the river Brahmaputra to Bangladesh by smugglers.

 

" In view of the MFOs based in Bangladesh striking coordination with the

outlawed ULFA militants in Assam, you never know how many boys are going for

training across the border or how many MFOs are crossing over to the Indian

territory while hundreds of cattle are being chased by smugglers from this

side of the border, " a senior Army official based in Western Assam said.

 

The Army last year killed 12 Muslim fundamentalist elements in two specific

operations in Dhubri. Security forces maintain that vulnerable Muslim youths

from Dhubri and Goalpara districts are being lured for training by

anti-India forces including the notorious Pakistan-based ISI.

 

Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) manning India Bangladesh border

in Assam and Meghalaya has geared up vigil against smuggling activities and

managed to seize cattle worth about Rs 50 crore since 2007 till date.

 

A BSF source said the force seized cattle worth Rs 8.17 crore in 2007 and

the figure increased to Rs 15.58 crore in 2008. Till date in the current

year the force has seized cattle worth Rs 26 crore.

 

The sharp rise in cattle smuggling in the last few years is attributed to

mushrooming of slaughter houses across the border in Bangladesh which has

increased its volume of processed beef export to Gulf nations.

 

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