The BSF on Friday conducted a raid at Nahata near Krishnaganj in Nadia district, uncovering three underground bunkers packed with Phensedyl, a cough syrup banned in Bangladesh but widely used as an addictive substance.

Krishnaganj police also joined the raid that was conducted under the border management protocol.

BSF personnel were alarmed as the bunkers were on paddy fields, located barely 1km from the border. Each bunker, at least 15ft deep, was reinforced with iron sheets and equipped with metal covers featuring locking mechanisms.

The bunkers, robust and spacious enough to accommodate an adult, were stuffed with hundreds of bottles of Phensedyl. The BSF began counting the seized bottles, but the tally remained incomplete till Friday evening.

BSF south Bengal frontier spokesperson and DIG Nilotpal Kumar Pandey said: “Some bunkers were found in the border areas of Nadia, which are being thoroughly examined.”

A senior BSF officer expressed concern over the bunkers, doubting they were constructed solely for storing goods. “It is suspicious to believe that the bunkers were built only to hide Phensedyl. We doubt a larger agenda of carrying out subversive activities. A thorough investigation is required, and it’s too early to draw any conclusion,” he said.

The discovery of the bunkers comes amid heightened border vigilance following the change in Bangladesh’s political landscape.

“We are examining all angles. The matter will be reported to higher authorities and the state police for necessary action,” said a BSF officer.