By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Smuggling of jazzy bikes to Bangladesh from Meghalaya has become a lucrative business for a gang operating along the border the hill state shares with the neighboring country.
As per the statistics available, altogether 31 motorcycles have been seized since 2010 till date.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Friday, Ravi Gandhi, PRO, BSF (Meghalaya Frontier) said that the Bangladeshi smugglers use the engines of the smuggled bikes in their boats locally called Bhutbhuti or Phatphatti. “But the number of cases have come down of late,” he said.
It is a very alluring trade and it easily fills the empty coffer of a class of miscreants that try to reign in the international border and so.
13 motorcycles were seized in the year 2010. Four Indian and one Bangladeshi smugglers were arrested in this connection.
Police along with the residents of Chibong Bongre village in West Garo Hills in May 2010 apprehended two Bangladeshi motorcycle lifters — Santa Koch alias Sarna (32 ) and Kanchan Koch (22 ) — from Chibong Bongre village and also recovered one motorcycle (ML-09-7718) from their possession. The motorcycle was stolen by them from Haldibari village in West Garo Hills border.
Besides in three districts of Garo Hills, these bike smugglers are active in West Khasi Hills bordering Bangladesh.
Police in July, 2010 had busted a gang led by one Kala Mia in West Khasi Hills border. The gang comprised of some Garos from Bangladesh. They were also engaged in stealing bikes among other crimes.
The modus operandi of these criminals is that they steal the bikes from the hilly areas of the district and drive them down to the Bangladesh border and change hands.
Once the stolen motor cycles reach Bangladesh, mechanics remove engines to fit them in motor boats.
Even in the year 2011 ten motorcycles were seized and accordingly one Indian and one Bangladeshi smugglers were apprehended by the BSF.
Gandhi said the BSF usually keeps the details of all the vehicles of the bordering areas to ensure that the vehicles do not get smuggled to the neighbouring country.
Even in the year 2012, eight motorcycles were seized by BSF and five Indian smugglers were apprehended in this connection.
According to Gandhi, mobile check posts have been set up along the
border to check the movement of vehicles.
“We have taken a lot of initiatives for curbing this practice,” he said.
Hero Honda, Yamaha RX 100, Bajaj Pulsar, Bajaj 100 CC to 120 CC/135 CC, etcetera likes bikes are in the list of stealing and smuggling. The purchasers buy these engines at a cheaper price and use them in their small boat
Meghalaya shares a 443 kilometer border with Bangladesh out of which a large area remains unfenced due to land dispute.