SSB to install portable X-ray at Nepal, Bhutan borders

Border guarding force SSB will soon deploy portable X-ray machines at major crossing points along Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
The force, mandated to secure these 'open' frontiers, has also decided to prepare a blueprint for procuring goods and items for paramilitary personnel from prominent Internet-based stores as this will ensure transparency in procurement at a reasonable price.
The decisions, a senior Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) officer said, were taken during a high-level operations conference of the force chaired by force's chief B D Sharma at the headquarters here yesterday.
Director General Sharma, the officer said, also asked his field commanders to mount effective vigil along the 1,751-km long Indo-Nepal border and 699-km Indo-Bhutan border and check against instances of human trafficking and smuggling of arms, narcotics and fake Indian currency.

"The DG also asked all the border guarding units in Bihar to effectively dominate and patrol the Indo-Nepal border in view of forthcoming Assembly polls in the state," the officer said.
"Issues related to infrastructure, logistics, repair of border pillars and the status of crime incidents on these borders such as human trafficking, smuggling of narcotics, arm, ammunition, fake currency and trespassing were discussed at length," he said.
In the last six months, the force seized narcotics, FICN, wildlife, illegal forest products, contraband worth Rs 87.6 crore and recovered 97 arms, 228 rounds of ammunition, over 998-kg of explosives, apprehended 45 suspected human traffickers and rescued 113 women and children from these borders during the same period, according to official data.

The SSB is about 60,000 personnel strong and works under the command of Union Home Ministry.