New Delhi -- Troubled by increasing infiltration and smuggling of cattle and goods through the porous India-Bangladesh border, the paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) is planning to strengthen its presence along the frontier to prevent illegal activities.
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"Earlier, the focus was on Jammu and Kashmir but now it has shifted to east, which I personally feel is the problem area of tomorrow," BSF director general A.K. Mitra told reporters here Tuesday.
Apart from the increased infiltration by terrorists, over 150,000 Bangladeshis who had entered India on valid documents had failed to return in the past five, he pointed out.
"It is possible that these people could be involved in anti-India activities," Mitra said.
According to him, the BSF had this year arrested over 8,000 people who were illegally trying to cross over from Bangladesh, apart from seizing contraband worth Rs. 835 million ($18.6 million).
"We have already deployed over 66 battalions - some 72,000 troopers - along the border but seeing the growing problem, we have decided to deploy more men in the coming days," Mitra said.
Mitra also said that apart from infiltration, the BSF was worried about increasing cattle smuggling along the border. "We have seized 100,049 cattle worth Rs.52 crore (Rs.520 million) this year," he added.