Meghalaya: BSF seizes dry peas worth Rs 20 lakhs

SHILLONG-  BSF Seized 10 Bolero pickup loaded with about 20,000 Kg of Dry pea at Muktapur- Lakrah road junction. The approx. market value of the seized dry pea is Rs. 20 lakhs, informed BSF .

According BSF  source, troops of Meghalaya Frontier on 1st March 2021, launched a special operation based on specific information regarding smuggling of huge quantity of dry pea from the general area of Border Out Post (BOP) Muktapur of 30 Bn BSF under Police Station Muktapur, Distt West Jaintia Hills.

Initially when the Bolero Pick up loaded with dry peas were intercepted, the operation party was outnumbered by aggressive villagers from the area who confronted with BSF personnel, the local police was also called for assistance and somehow the crowd was dispersed but the pick up vehicles managed to escape from the scene.

In the meantime, the Party was reinforced from the adjacent BSF camps and they pursued the vehicles heading towards Amlarem and again intercepted them at Muktapur-Lakrah road junction.

Within a short span of time, again the villagers gathered there and started pelting stones, empty bottles on BSF personnel. Despite adverse condition BSF troops kept patience and to prevent situation going out of control they resorted to firing of 01 round of PAG (Non-lethal weapon) in air. The whole episode was very maturely handled by the BSF troops and despite been aggressively attacked by miscreants they calmly handled the situation.

The smuggling of Dry pea from Bangladesh to India is prevalent in the area, as in the past two months BSF Meghalaya has apprehended 08 smugglers along with 3,33,992 kg of dry pea with 34 vehicles amounting to Rs. appox. 03 crores.

Hardeep Singh, IG, Meghalaya Frontier said that, “BSF is making all out effort by putting in all the resources to curb the smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border and this menace of smuggling required to be tackled collectively by all concerned Govt. agencies.”