The Border Security Force on Thursday seized 10 camels worth Rs.3 lakh while they were being smuggled to Bangladesh from West Bengal, a BSF official said.
The seizure of the animals was made during a special operation by the BSF troopers under the Mahadipur border outpost in Malda district.
"Some Indian smugglers tried to cross over with the camels when they were challenged by a BSF party. Though they managed to escape taking advantage of darkness and high standing crops, we have seized 10 camels worth Rs.3 lakh," said the official.
"While cattle smuggling to Bangladesh is more dominant, the demand for camels is also rising. Smugglers are steadily bringing the animals all the way from Rajasthan to smuggle them to Bangladesh. So far in the year, we have seized 17 camels worth over Rs.5 lakh," said the official.