SHILLONG, JULY 16: At least nine rafts containing coal and seven rafts of timber worth 25 lakh destined to Bangladesh were seized by the BSF near International border with Bangladesh in Simsang river in South Garo hills.
According to BSF officials on Wednesday night, unknown smugglers from the Indian side were trying to illegally smuggle out coal and timbers in rafts made up of bamboos with the help of downstream flow of Simsang river towards Bangladesh but was intercepted by the BSF at Baghmara.
BSF troops from BOP (Border Outpost) Baghmara observed some suspicious movement in the river close to the International boundary, they chased the rafts and on seeing BSF personnel, the smugglers left the consignment and escaped taking advantage of darkness and thick growth on the river banks.
The BSF recovered nine bamboo rafts containing coal and seven rafts of timber, which contain more than 3000 bags of coal (each bag generally weigh 50 kgs), 152 timber logs and more than 1100 number of bamboos.
Seizure worth is expected to be more than Rs 25 Lakhs as values are being ascertained till reports last came in.
According to the BSF officials, after the ban by NGT, which was imposed on mining and transportation of coal last year in April in the state, smugglers are trying to adopt this unscrupulous way of smuggling coal to Bangladesh taking the riverine route.
A raft made up of more than 200 bamboos is capable of carrying 150 no of coal bags. These rafts are also used by the smugglers to smuggle out timbers to Bangladesh.
The BSF has been able to seize 3,98,958 Kgs of coal, 2,225.431 cft wooden logs and 20,960 nos of bamboos since last six months while being smuggled out to Bangladesh.- By Our Reporter
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