Border Trouble

Agartala, Nov. 22: Transborder movement of criminals through an unfenced 15km stretch of the border Sonamura subdivision shares with Bangladesh triggered tension today with the arrest of two smugglers who were injured by bullets fired by Bangladesh Rifles jawans this morning.

The deputy inspector-general of police, Nepal Das, said the stretch in Sonamura subdivision of West Tripura bordering Bangladesh could not be fenced because of protests from people inhabiting villages on the border who depend on smuggling to eke out a living.

Police sources said Atiqul Mia, 31, and Iqbal Hossain, 30, were members of a gang of smugglers from Durgapur village in Sonamura that had intruded 150 metres into Comilla district of the neighbouring country.

They engaged in a dispute with BDR jawans patrolling there over seized smuggled goods.

When the gang turned aggressive, the BDR jawans opened fire injuring Atiqul and Iqbal. The duo sustained minor injuries.

“Other smugglers rescued them and retreated into the Indian territory. The BDR jawans did not press the issue too hard; subsequently BSF jawans rounded up the injured duo and handed them over to police in Sonamura. Their companions had fled the area,” DIG Das said.

“Smuggling is the mainstay of their existence and that is why they have prevented border fencing. The two were arrested this morning and brought to hospital are notorious bike thieves and smugglers. They had overreacted by picking up a quarrel with the BDR in Bangladesh territory,” Das said.

He added that Sonamura subdivision had emerged not only as a corridor for illegal transborder movement and smugglers but also for gun runners and those who are into fake currency racket over the past several years.

Elsewhere in Chebri under Khowai subdivision, the police arrested a member of a fake currency racket this morning and seized 80 fake currency notes of Rs 500 denomination each.

Chandan Paul, 31, a resident of Bishalgarh subdivision, was heading for Khowai town on a bus.

Acting on a tip-off, the police from Khowai had boarded the bus at Chebri and arrested Paul travelling with the fake notes.

He will be produced in Khowai subdivisional court today.