Disposal of seized cattle a major challenge for BSF

Disposal of seized cattle at the Indo-Bangla frontier has become a major challenge for the BSF as it is causing health hazards for the troopers at the border outposts, a senior BSF official said on Wednesday.

The BSF has seized around 19000 cattle since January this year while they were being smuggled to Bangladesh for possible slaughter, officials said.

The troopers at those BOPs are under threat of health hazards as they are living with these cattles during the rainy season, Y B Khurania, the IG of South Bengal Frontier told reporters.

"The disposal of these cattles have now become a major challenge for us", he said.

Earlier the seized cattle were handed over to Customs for further procedures but due to new rules it has stopped accepting them. So some of the seized cows were handed over to NGOs and a few to local villagers. But still there are around 2500 cattle left at the various border outposts, he said.

BSF officials said that cattle smugglers tie socket bombs to the necks of the cattle while smuggling them to cause physical harm to the troopers when they are apprehended, he said.

The border force had last month seized cows with improvised explosive devices packed in small alumium cannisters and tied around their necks.

BSF officials said it was the first time that the border force came across such an instance that could fatally injure both the cattle and personnel who caught it.

The cattle were seized from the river near the Harudanga border post along the south Bengal frontier, they said.