Infiltration, gold & drug smuggling on the rise along borders

Shaurya Karanbir Gurung

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 21

An increase in illegal infiltration into India and smuggling of narcotics and gold along the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders has been witnessed.

Till November this year, 14 illegal infiltrators, including Tibetan, Chinese, Israeli and Bangladeshi, were arrested by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) along the two borders. Last year, only four infiltrators were arrested and in 2012, 12 were held.

“According to the Indo-Nepal treaty of 1950, Nepalese can cross over into India without relevant documents hence, they are not illegal infiltrators. Same is the case with Bhutanese. When any other country nationals cross over these borders without proper visa into India, they are illegal infiltrators,” said Ashok Kumar, Deputy Inspector General (Operations), SSB, recently at the annual press conference of the SSB Director General, Banshi Dhar Sharma.

“The arrested Chinese are construction engineers working in Nepal. The SSB arrests such people and hands them over to the local police, but nothing has come to light regarding why these people were infiltrating into India,” said SSB sources.

Investigations and seizures by the SSB have shown a rise in smuggling of gold and narcotics along the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders.

The SSB data revealed that till November this year, the SSB seized narcotics, FICN, other currencies, forest product, antiques, gold and silver worth Rs 118 crore. Last year, the SSB seized illegal products worth Rs 114.30 crore at the borders. In 2012, the seizure was worth Rs 41.68 crore.

Till November 2014, gold worth more than Rs 405.39 lakh was seized while being smuggled across the borders. Last year, gold worth Rs 127.91 lakh was seized while there was no gold smuggling along the borders in 2012.

Till November this year, narcotics worth Rs 4,112.8 lakh was seized by the SSB. Last year, the seizure of narcotics by the SSB was worth Rs 3,534.43 lakh.

Smuggling of antiques across the borders has begun since last year. The SSB seized antiques worth Rs 6,020 lakh last year. Till November this year, it seized antiques worth Rs 3,705.40 lakh. Till November this year, 114 arms, 1,853 ammunition and 66-kg explosives were seized by the SSB. Till November this year, the SSB arrested 1,976 smugglers.

SSB DG Sharma said the SSB would acquire non-lethal weapons to deal with smugglers in the border areas.