Sixteen Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended during a series of raids in south Bengal districts since Friday, Border Security Force (BSF) officials said on Saturday. The border guards also seized 89 cattle heads and 1,895 pieces of tablets - a contraband drug - during the raids in border areas of Malda, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts during October.
Five and nine Bangladeshis were arrested from Swarupnagar and Hakimpur areas respectively of North 24 Parganas district for trying to enter India illegally, the officials said.
Two others were also apprehended for similar reasons from Baishnabnagar area of Malda district. The BSF officials said till October 12 this year, BSF jawans of South Bengal Frontier apprehended 1,238 Bangladeshi intruders and seized 26,750 cattle heads.