NEW DELHI – India’s paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF)linkhasconfirmed the acquisition of Israeli-made equipment to curb such incidentson the country’s 4,156km-long (2,582-mile-long) border with Bangladesh.
These include tethered drones, thermal imaging cameras, ElectroOptical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors (used for military or law enforcementapplications) underwater and underground sensors, as well as pan–tilt–zoom(PTZ) cameras.
The Indo-Bangladesh border is the fifth longest in the world and spans fiveIndian states – Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, and West Bengal.
The Israeli-tethered drones, each worth about $52,000link,are equipped with day and night vision cameras that capture images over atwo-kilometre distance and from a height of 150 metres.
They are used to capture images of cattle smugglers crossing the borderbetween both countries.
Having aerial surveillance from a sufficient height offers a distinctadvantage, as they are not affected by high winds and also get continuouspower supply, a BSF officer said.
He further stated that patrolling the Indo-Bangladesh border at some pointsis difficultlinkbecauseof the vast sand bars (submerged or partly exposed ridges of sand or coarsesediment created by water) and several river channels, especially duringthe monsoon season.
The objective is to send out a message of deterrence, even though smugglersare aware that they are under constant watch, the officer said.
To counter the aggressive surveillance mounted by border forceslink,smugglers have adopted strategies like blending in with the localpopulation, deploying Indian villagers to carry out smuggling operations,and paying people to act as lookouts.
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In the recent past, smugglers have been arrested while sneaking cattlethrough culverts located under border roads and tying the animals onplantain trunks and setting them afloat on rivers and streams.
Using hollow papaya stems as snorkels to breathe underwater, they alsoguide cattle across the border.
Last year, the Indian government launched a smart-fencing ComprehensiveIntegrated Border Management Systemlink-(CIBMS)project along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the Dhubri district of AssamState.
The project, inspired by Israeli technology, entails installing technicaland electronic systems along the unfenced riverine area of Lower Assam.
A data network of the riverine border separating both countries isgenerated and managed by microwave communication, optical fibre cables,digital mobile radio (DMR) communication, day and night surveillancecameras and border protection radar systems.
Seized cattle are offered up for public auction under strict scrutiny tostop cattle smugglers from reclaiming them.
