
Members of the BSF's 119 Battalion from the Mallik-Sultanpur border outpost switched off the border floodlights near border pillar No. 183/3-S at around 11pm before preparing to push the 12 individuals into Bangladesh, said Lt Col Tajul Islam Chowdhury, commanding officer of BGB's Mahananda-59 Battalion on Saturday.
After receiving the information, a BGB patrol team rushed to the spot and villagers also joined the border guards in maintaining a vigilant presence along the frontier.
The 12 individuals were waiting in Muslimpara area about 600 yards inside Indian territory from the zero line.
Later the BSF members took the 12 people back to a holding centre in Malda, India around 4:30 am, Lt Col Tajul said.
Lt Col Tajul Islam Chowdhury said the BGB remains on maximum alert to prevent any illegal border crossing or push-in attempt, reports UNB.
Regular patrols and intelligence surveillance have been strengthened along the border, he said.