CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: A sudden spike in cattle smuggling along the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border has triggered serious concern, with the Border Security Force (BSF) reporting a sharp increase in activity during July 2025. From January 1 to July 21, the BSF seized 1,535 cattle worth Rs 2.26 crore. Alarmingly, 187 cattle valued at Rs 30.31 lakh were intercepted in just the first 20 days of July, indicating a renewed and aggressive smuggling effort.
BSF Inspector General of the Meghalaya Frontier, O.P. Upadhyay, confirmed the troubling trend. "If we analyse cattle smuggling in 2025, there was a decrease in the first half compared to 2024. However, in July, we have observed a sudden upsurge," he stated.
He explained that the surge coincides with the monsoon season, which typically leads to increased smuggling attempts. "It's a general tendency during July and August. Heavy rain and flash floods in border areas create conditions that smugglers exploit," Upadhyay said.
Adding to the BSF's challenges is the prolonged custody of seized cattle, particularly in East Khasi Hills, due to administrative inaction. "Cattle seized by the BSF have been in our custody for nearly a year because the Meghalaya Government has not taken them over," he pointed out. "This is not the case across all of Meghalaya, but in East Khasi Hills, operational constraints with local police and the Animal Husbandry Department persist."
Upadhyay noted that around 100 cattle, seized as far back as September-October 2024, are still housed at BSF border outposts awaiting relocation. "It is extremely difficult for BSF personnel to care for these animals under such conditions," he added.
The situation took a violent turn recently in the Rinku and Betgora areas, where Indian and Bangladeshi smugglers launched a coordinated attempt to smuggle cattle across the border. "Our troops intervened, but the smugglers became aggressive, pelting stones and attacking with sharp weapons," Upadhyay reported.
Despite injuries sustained by BSF personnel during the altercation, they exercised restraint and used only non-lethal measures to disperse the attackers. "There was no firing from either side, but our troops were injured while protecting the cattle and themselves," he confirmed.
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