The Border Security Force (BSF) in Meghalaya detained 132 people in 2022 who were involved in suspected illegal activity along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
Despite all the fears of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and criminals, Indians made up the biggest nationality – 61. Another 41 were Bangladeshi and 30 were Rohingyas trying to flee persecution from Myanmar through Bangladesh; they are treated as illegal migrants and not refugees by India.
During 2022, the BSF Meghalaya foiled numerous smuggling attempts and seized huge quantities of various contraband items, such as cattle, arms, ammunition, drugs and narcotics.
The BSF also conducted various meetings with Bangladesh border guards to maintain cordial relations and to resolve many border issues affecting the lives of the local population.
There were 3,481 heads of cattle that were seized by the BSF in 2022 before they could be smuggled into Bangladesh and these were worth more than Rs 5.55 crore.
It also seized 9,779 bottles of liquor (Rs 12.66 lakh), 11,000-plus yaba tablets (Rs 51.90 lakh), 7,500-plus bottles of cough syrup (Rs 15.17 lakh), 31.182kg of marijuana (Rs 2.67 lakh), 348g of gold (Rs 17.57 lakh), counterfeit Indian currency and other items, such as cosmetics and clothing.
Only one gun, a revolver, was seized by the BSF personnel over the course of the whole year, along with 838 rounds of ammunition.
The force also attempted to get the border population and school children to celebrate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to mark India’s 75th anniversary of independence.
