Kolkata, July 26: Cattle thieves on the India-Bangladesh border have resorted to violent means to combat the Border Security Force (BSF) troopers who have cracked down on their illicit trade. The soldiers are being targeted using guns and crude bombs in a bid to re-facilitate the smuggling of cows, ox and buffaloes.

According to reports, the smugglers are using the riverine routes to transport the stolen cattle to banana plantations lying close to the line of demarcation. The animals are tied up with crude bombs along their necks. The BSF troopers, who retrieve the cattle from these plantations, may incur fatal accidents due to these bombs. BSF Constable Loses a Hand After Bangladeshi Smugglers Hurl Bombs

"One wrong move and the bombs would explode, killing or seriously injuring any person in the vicinity," TOI reported a BSF official from South Bengal Frontier as saying. He further claimed that the Indian troopers have not been deterred and seized several of the stolen cattle.

Apart from stolen cattle, the Bangladeshi smugglers and their associates in border districts have resorted to the slaughtering of bovines and illicitly sending beef through the porous borders.

In a recent crackdown, said an official, 365 heads of cattle were recovered from the districts of Malda, Murshidabad, North 24-Parganas and Nadia.

Another BSF personnel, while speaking to reporters, said all attempts made by the illicit cattle and meat traders are being thwarted. This has left the smugglers frustrated and forced them to resort to violence, he added. A couple of weeks ago, a soldier's right-hand was reportedly blown off after a smuggler threw crude bomb at him.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 26, 2019 01:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).