Two suspected smugglers — a Bangladeshi national and another from South Dinajpur — were caught with cough syrup bottles and handed over to the BSF by Malda villagers near the border on Thursday.

Sources said that some local residents spotted the duo near the border in Kumarpur area under Englishbazar police station of the district while they were smuggling cough syrup bottles to Bangladesh. Soon, they intercepted the duo and informed the BSF. As a team from the 44 battalion of the force reached the spot, they handed over the duo to them.

The BSF also seized 97 cough syrup bottles, the cost of which is around Rs 19,915, from them. During interrogation, they admitted that the cough syrup bottles were supposed to be sent to Bangladesh. Those arrested are Ashraful Haque, a resident of Chapai Nawabganj district of Bangladesh, and Ayakub Ali, from neighbouring South Dinajpur district.

Later, both were handed over to Englishbazar police. In another incident, troops of 61 battalion of the force posted at India-Bangladesh Border in Hilli of South Dinajpur district apprehended Sagar, a Bangladeshi resident from Dinajpur district, while he was trying to infiltrate into India. He has been handed over to the Hilli police station.The BSF also carried out anti smuggling drives in different areas of north Bengal from August 20 to August 25 and seized contraband items including cattle, cough syrup bottles and cannabis. The cost of the seized items is Rs 8.03 lakh, sources said.