News Desk :
Indian police have found a 200-metre tunnel on the Bangladesh-India border in Assam on Friday.
A man was recently abducted and while rescuing him the police found the tunnel that is supposedly used for infiltration and smuggling cattle.
“We received an FIR regarding a person who was abducted to the other side of the border, following which we went to the area,” said Mayank Kumar, Karimganj superintendent of police (SP), reports News18 India.
“We can only say anything about the secret tunnel only after proper investigation. There are some serious issues in some particular areas. We have taken up the matter with the BSF and intelligence agencies,” he added.
Dilwar Hossain, a resident of Shilua village under Nilambazar police station in Karimganj, was abducted on Sunday, read a report of Anandabazar newspaper.
Later, the kidnappers contacted his family from a Bangladeshi number and demanded a ransom of Tk5 lakh. When Dilwar’s family agreed to pay, the kidnappers gave some instructions and asked Elimuddin of neighbouring Nayagram to bring the money. When the police arrested Elimuddin, they released Dilwar.
After Dilwar’s return, the police interrogated him and found out about the tunnel.
On Friday, a special team led by Karimganj district superintendent of police conducted an operation in Balia area. Police found a tunnel more than 200 metres long there.
Karimganj District Superintendent of Police Mayank Kumar Jhan said the location of the tunnel was covered in plants. There was barbed wire fence above the tunnel.
It looked like a normal hole. According to Dilwar, it looks like a common hole at the end of Sylhet, Bangladesh. The miscreants regularly move on that road.
The BSF has been asked to close the Indian part of the tunnel immediately, the SP said. The BSF has already detained several people in the incident and are interrogating them, reports The Home News.
In June 2017, the BSF had seized 249 cattle and contraband items worth Rs82 lakh from near the border in Meghalaya. The BSF spokesperson had then said: “It appeared transportation of cattle from hinterland to border areas was continuing without hindrance and smuggling was rampant.” The spokesperson had also said the seized cattle were smaller in size and were smuggled through tunnels and once they reached Bangladesh, they were fed fattening drugs.
In May 2018, the Karimganj police had arrested two Bangladeshi smugglers at Kandi village near the border. According to police, a group of seven smugglers had entered the Indian territory after passing through the barbed tunnel, reports News18 India.
