BSF alerts field units to check human trafficking

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, July 5

The Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters here has alerted its field formation commanders along borders with Bangladesh against large-scale human trafficking in view Covid-19 induced economic distress in the neighbouring country.

Officials in the BSF said, “The alert has been issued after the force’s intelligence units noticed some innovative methods to push the poor and vulnerable from across the border by luring them with job opportunities in cities like Kolkata, Guwahati and other parts of northeastern states. Such people are even lured by offering jobs as far as in Delhi, Mumbai and a few districts in south India.”

According to the data available with the BSF headquarters here, at least five Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended by the force in less than two weeks (between June 19 and 29).

The officials said all apprehended men were in the age group of 12 to 25 years and their initial interrogation revealed that touts managed their entry into India from the other side with the help of local trafficking syndicates.

It is understood that the job loss due to the lockdown and less work opportunities due to the ongoing pandemic were the reasons that these gullible people got lured and trafficked across the border, the officials added.

In view of these revelations along with multiple intelligence inputs, the officials said the field formations had been alerted to keep an enhanced vigil against human trafficking, as it is expected to witness a spurt owing to the loss of job opportunities and lockdown imposed in both countries to contain the spread Covid-19 infections.