New Delhi: Over 88,000 kg of ganja were seized by BSF along the India-Bangladesh border from 2017 to February 2022, Minister of State (MoS), Home Nisith Pramanik said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. According to the statistics presented by the Minister, 12246.100 kg of ganja was seized in 2017, 28930.132 kg was seized in 2018 and 12222.735 kg was seized in 2019. It further revealed that 11630.689 kg, 19335.135 kg and 4341.205 of ganja was seized respectively in 2020,2021 and 2022 (up to February).
Pramanik in a written reply stated that from 2017 to February 2022, the highest number of arrests of smugglers by BSF took place in 2021 (162), followed by 2020 (105), 2018 (92), 2019 (66) and 2017 (48). Asked about whether India has an agreement with Bangladesh to stop cross-border drug smuggling, Pramanik stated that a bilateral agreement on combating international terrorism, organized crime and illicit drug trafficking was signed on January 11, 2020.
He further stated that another bilateral agreement on illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related matters was signed on March 21, 2016. The MoS stated that Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) was signed between Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh on July 30, 2011 to deal with various cross border crimes including drug smuggling.
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