Kolkata: In a major drive the Border Security Force (BSF), South Bengal, arrested 61 Bangladeshi nationals as they were trying to sneak through the International Border (IB) and seized a large quantity of essential commodities and cattle being smuggled.

The BSF apprehended 60 Bangladeshi and 20 Indian nationals from the border on the night of July 12 and 13 when they were trying to cross the International Border, BSF sources said on July 16.

Most of these arrests and seizures were made along the IB in Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas, the sources said.

Subsequently the BSF also raided a house at Baikunthapur in South Dinajpur and apprehended a Bangladeshi and an Indian national and seized a country-made pistol with ammunition, the sources said.

The border guards seized a large quantity of essential commodities like rice, sugar, jeera and also a large number of cattle together worth over Rs 33 lakh.

The BSF have also taken up with Bangladesh Rifles for early release of two fishermen of South Dinajpur who were captured by Bangladeshi fishermen.

PTI