Agartala, Feb 6 (IANS): The BSF apprehended 23 Bangladeshi smugglers on Tuesday while they are trying to smuggle 6,250 kg of sugar from India to their country, officials said.

A paramilitary official said that acting on specific information regarding trans-border smuggling of sugar, vigilant troopers of the BSF laid an ambush in the Samarganj area under South Tripura district and apprehended the Bangladeshi smugglers after they crossed the international boundary to receive consignment of sugar from their counterparts on the Indian side.

The official said that 125 bags of sugar weighing 6,250 kg have been recovered from the areas and 17 mobile phones from the possession of apprehended Bangladeshi smugglers.

Out of 23 Bangladeshi smugglers, 22 are from the bordering area of Feni district (Bangladesh) and one is from Chattogram district.

The BSF officials, immediately after the detention of the smugglers, tried to contact their counterpart Border Guards Bangladesh to hold a flag meeting but till late afternoon, it could not be held. The apprehended Bangladeshi smugglers were handed over to the Tripura Police after a medical examination.

BSF officials said that spurt in trans-border smuggling of sugar through India-Bangladesh border in Tripura was noticed in recent years. In 2023, 5.50 lakh kg of sugar along with 16 trans-border smugglers and 27 vehicles had been seized by the BSF. Over 2.11 lakh kg of sugar along with 34 trans-border smugglers and 14 vehicles had been seized by BSF troopers so far this year.