Agartala, Aug 9 (IANS): Two alert Mahila Praharis of the Border Security Force (BSF) foiled a smuggling attempt by Bangladeshi smugglers in Tripura, officials said on Friday.

A BSF spokesman said that two Mahila Praharis deployed in ambush on Thursday midnight noticed some suspicious movement ahead of the border fence in Western Tripura’s Kamlasagar bordering areas. They at once alerted the troops in the adjoining areas and intensified the surveillance of the area.

After some time the Mahila Praharis observed 30-40 people approaching the border fencing carrying bamboo sticks and sharp-edged weapons.

Both the Mahila Praharis challenged the smugglers, who also adopted an aggressive posture. They tried to encircle the Praharis while pelting stones at them.

The spokesman said that the Mahila Praharis held their ground and retaliated by firing one round from their pump action gun, forcing the smugglers to retreat leaving behind the contraband they were carrying.

A huge quantity of sugar and 16 kg of ganja was recovered from the spot.

In the meantime, reinforcements arrived on the scene.

BSF Tripura Frontier Inspector General Patel Piyush Purushottam Das said that the Mahila Praharis are in no way less than their male counterparts when it comes to operational achievements on the border.