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An investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has revealed that members of the Indian Border Security Force (IBSF) were involved in the smuggling of cattle across the border into Bangladesh. Several former and current BSF agents, political leaders, customs officers and police have been implicated in the smuggling ring.
Although the cattle smuggling ring ran through Murshidabad-Malda in West Bengal, investigators indicate that some former BSF officers were also involved in Kolkata.
On September 23, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) launched a nationwide search operation to investigate the alleged collusion of BSF officers with the cattle smuggling ring.
Cows captured during smuggling were sometimes portrayed as calves or West Bengal cows, many times cheaper than cattle in the West Indies. Investigators say the captured cows were later auctioned through customs, which the traffickers bought at lower prices.
On the one hand, investigators have found traces of the huge assets of Enamul Sheikh, known as the head of the smuggling ring, on the other hand, traces of huge properties have also been found in the homes of several BSF commanders who were registered.
The ring came to light in 2016 after a BSF commander was captured in Kerala with approximately 48 lakh rupees in cash. Enamul Sheikh was also arrested then. Although he is now out on bail.
Senior officials from the Indian Border Security Force, who did not want to be identified, said they were made of limestone. Several other senior BSSF officers participated in the cattle smuggling ring. Some of them have left their jobs and gone abroad, others are in other security forces.
Investigators say that not only the BSF, but also customs, police and political leaders were involved in the smuggling ring.
The roots of India’s cattle smuggling cycle are far-reaching
Chandan Nandi, a veteran journalist from Delhi, has kept abreast of the Union Ministry of the Interior and the security forces in Delhi for a long time. He said that the roots of the traffic cycle run everywhere.
His comment was: ‘There was a very well organized cycle. There was also a political hand behind this. It is not just that some West Bengal leaders were involved. The families of the leaders of the center also participated in this. The network was very open in this cycle. ‘
BSF officials, who did not want to be identified, say the smuggling ring started in 2015. And in 2016, after an army commander was captured in Kerala, the cycle became known.
According to the media investigation, in 2016, a force officer had written a letter to the general director of BSF warning about this smuggling ring. He also said that some senior BSF officials from the southern Bengal border region were involved in the scam.
The letter read: “The officers of the 20th Battalion based in Farakka are receiving instructions from the Bengal South Border Headquarters in Calcutta to listen to the smugglers. Instructions are being given to stop the smuggling. The force is again being withdrawn. and smuggling is being facilitated. “
It was learned that there were several people involved in the cycle, as well as officials at the border who were in charge of surveillance, that is, monitoring whether workers received bribes or not.
‘It is regrettable that BSF officials are involved in cattle smuggling’
Sameer Kumar Mitra, a retired BSF Eastern Border Deputy Inspector General, said it was “unfortunate” that senior officials were involved in the smuggling of livestock.
“There is no protection when a guard becomes a devourer. The force that has fought for the country and for Bangladesh since its inception, the largest force of border guards in the world, some of its officers will be involved in trafficking, it is unthinkable. It is a scandal for the BSF. ” Events. “
He added: “The way the entire cattle smuggling process has been institutionalized is of great concern. But I would say that the BSF is only in effect at the border. Why are the police or customs department not stopping the cattle from various western states of India? “
In the three years that the smuggling ring has been operating, some senior officers have earned around 200 million rupees, while others have earned 300 million rupees through the network, according to investigators. The researchers also collected information on where they bought land and property.
BSF officials, who did not want to be identified, said the money was being smuggled to customs, police and political leaders, mainly from Murshidabad and Kolkata.
According to the media, the smuggling ring used to earn around Rs 40,000 per cow. According to preliminary estimates by researchers, cattle worth Rs 13-14 million have been smuggled through the border area of South Bengal for just three years.
Coincidentally, in 2016, a commander and some officers were fired after being caught in a smuggling ring, and then the smuggling of cattle across the border was drastically reduced.
Samir Kumar Mitra said it was true that the BSF was in charge of the border, but the names of other state authorities and non-government employees could also appear in the investigation.
“The names of BSF officers have come up first as government employees. But if there is a fair and proper investigation, the names of people who are not government employees may also come to light,” he said.
The way the trafficking network operated is also hinted at at an early stage in the investigation. Cows were first brought from North or West India and kept in one place at Birbhum. From there, the cows were taken to the Murshidabad border. BSF officials had already decided how many cows would be smuggled through which location. He kept a perfect count of each cow. Source: BBC Bangla.
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