INDO-BANGLADESH BORDER: Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along the riverine border between India and Bangladesh are on heightened alert as the smuggling of shellfish eggs, particularly from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, intensifies. Demand for these eggs is notably high in Bangladesh, leading to increased vigilance by border guards to counter smuggling attempts, especially during the night.
Smugglers utilize makeshift oxygen bags filled with shellfish eggs, exploiting the dark hours to avoid detection. These plastic bags, recommended for egg transport, are thrown into the river and later retrieved by receivers across the border. Some smugglers even submerge the bags to the riverbed or pass them through the porous India-Bangladesh border.
In recent incidents, BSF patrol teams have successfully seized multiple oxygen bags containing shellfish eggs. On April 21, at the Boltala outpost in West Bengal’s North Parganas district, 15 such bags were recovered. Earlier, on April 19, 21 bags were seized at the same outpost, and 20 bags were confiscated at two different border outposts, Ghojadanga and CS Khali, on the same night. Each attempt sees smugglers transporting approximately 15-40 bags.
Shellfish eggs, not covered in permissible export items under the India-Bangladesh trade agreement, are highly sought after in the grey market. The live eggs are used for aquaculture in Bangladesh. Smugglers typically bring the eggs from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to West Bengal, leveraging local villagers involved in legal prawn farming for assistance.
While shellfish eggs are not prohibited in India, they become illegal when smuggled out. The eggs, mainly of prawns and shrimp varieties, cost around 60 paise per egg in India. A bag or spin ball can hold 15,000-25,000 eggs, with the price of one bag in India approximately ₹9,000. However, the price skyrockets nearly 7-8 times upon reaching Bangladesh due to its high demand for farming purposes.
BSF officials, citing data, revealed a rising trend in shellfish egg smuggling, with 1,743 bags recovered in 2021, 2,024 in 2022, and 144 seized until April 22 this year. With the approaching monsoon, smugglers intensify their efforts to farm the eggs promptly, prompting heightened vigilance by BSF troops in the South Bengal frontier. The force remains committed to preventing any smuggling activities or transborder crimes along the border.
