Cattle smuggling rackets active near the India-Bangladesh border seem to prefer using small cars to ferry cattle near the bordering areas.

Instead of using trucks, pick-up vans, or similar goods vehicles, smugglers are using hatchbacks to carry two or three cows at a time in a bid to evade the BSF and other law enforcement personnel near the border.

In the past 24 hours, the BSF has recovered five cows meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh from two small cars near the border.

“The smugglers often resort to different tactics to carry cattle and other contraband items to escape checking. This time, they are using small cars to carry cattle instead of medium or smaller goods vehicles. The cars don't usually look suspicious,” said a source in the BSF.

Earlier, the BSF found narcotics and Yaba tablets (a stimulant containing methamphetamine and caffeine) inside cavities of the pipes of bicycles and motorbikes from near the border.

“Recently, smugglers are also roping in unscrupulous truck drivers who take their vehicles to Bangladesh to unload goods. Narcotics and other items are being hidden in the driver’s cabin to smuggle those to Bangladesh,” the source added.

On Friday, troops of the 6th battalion of the BSF at Amar border outpost in the Cooch Behar district stopped a Hyundai Santro at Amar More on Mekhliganj-Dhaprahat Road and found two cows inside.

In another incident, a BSF team of the 98th battalion posted at Kharkharia border outpost in the same district spotted a Ford Figo near Kharkharia village on Koshi-Kharkharia road. Three cows were inside the vehicle.

In both cases, the drivers and some others in the cars fled, abandoning the vehicles and animals.

“The cattle were in the luggage boot or were made to sit in the gap between the front and rear seats. From outside, it is tough to spot the cows inside the car, but our alert personnel did,” said a BSF official.

The cars and cattle have been handed over to local police stations.