Agartala, Feb 28 : The Border Security Force (BSF) have arrested 15 Bangladesh nationals, including three women and seven children, in Tripura for illegally entering India, officials said on Friday.

The BSF also arrested three Indian touts for facilitating the Bangladeshis' entry into the country without any legal documents and passports.

A BSF spokesman said that the 13 Bangladesh nationals and the three Indian touts were arrested on Thursday night from Kailashahar in the Unakoti district in northern Tripura.

He said that all the 13 intruders were residents of Moulvibazar, Sunamgunj, Netragunj, Netrokona, and Barisal in Bangladesh.

The apprehended Indian touts were identified as Kajal Das, Ajit Das, and Prasanjit Debnath.

Additionally, a special operation was launched in association with Tripura Police in which two Bangladesh nationals were apprehended in West Tripura when they were trying to cross over to Bangladesh.

The spokesman said that in the concerted efforts to prevent illegal cross-border activities, in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, a joint operation was conducted with the Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel at the Agartala railway station. This operation led to the apprehension of two Indian nationals involved in facilitating the unauthorised entry of Bangladeshis into Indian territory.

In another crackdown on cross-border narcotics smuggling, troops of the BSF detected suspicious movement of Indian smugglers attempting to transport illicit items across the India-Bangladesh border in the Sepahijala district.

Upon being challenged by BSF personnel, the smugglers abandoned the consignment and fled toward the Indian side. A thorough search of the area led to the recovery and seizure of 20 packets containing 20,000 Yaba tablets, valued at Rs 2 crore. Additionally, BSF troops seized other contraband items worth Rs 16.80 lakh from different locations along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura.

The BSF has significantly intensified its vigilance and operational efforts to combat the rising trend of narcotics smuggling. Recent months have seen multiple successful interceptions, demonstrating the force's unwavering commitment to border security. The seized contraband has been handed over to the Customs Department for further legal action. The BSF remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard the nation's borders and contribute to a drug-free society, the spokesman said. He said that the BSF remains committed to maintaining zero-tolerance against illegal border crossings, human trafficking, and smuggling activities along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

/IANS