Boxanagar Correspondent | 28 July:

A woman was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) while allegedly attempting to smuggle Yaba tablets through border gate number 180, located at Tarakanta Fence in Southpara, Boxnagar under Sonamura sub-division.

According to BSF sources, the woman has been identified as Rina Akhtar, wife of Zakir Hossain, a resident of Southpara, Ward No. 2, Boxnagar. Her house is situated near the 180-number barbed wire border gate on the Indian side. Around 2 PM today, she was trying to cross from the Indian side to the other side when BSF jawans became suspicious of her movements. Upon thoroughly checking her, the BSF recovered 7,800 Yaba tablets from her possession.

The vigilant jawans of the 49th Battalion of the Indian BSF have been actively patrolling the border areas day and night. Based on intelligence from local sources, it is believed that the tablets belonged to a cross-border smuggling network led by organized drug traffickers. Rina Akhtar reportedly acted as a carrier in exchange for some money.

At present, she is being held in custody at the BSF camp in Sheoratoli, Boxnagar. She is likely to be handed over to the Kalamchoura Police Station tomorrow. The authorities are expected to interrogate her further to uncover more information.

Concerns have been growing about the increasing number of female drug traffickers along the border. In this context, many intellectuals and social activists are urging the government to rapidly increase the number of female BSF personnel stationed at these sensitive border outposts.