BSF seizes gold valued at Rs 3.51 crore along India-Bangladesh border

Kolkata, Oct 11 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested a smuggler along the India-Bangladesh Border in West Bengal's Nadia district and seized 4.67 kg of gold that was being smuggled from Bangladesh to India, an official said on Friday. 

The value of the gold is nearly Rs 3.51 crore, a senior BSF official said.

"There were specific intelligence inputs regarding a gold smuggling attempt and troops of the 32 Bn BSF, posted at the Horondipur Border Outpost, were alerted. They stopped a man moving on a motorcycle close to the India-Bangladesh border, and he was unable to give a convincing reply when asked what he was doing there. On searching the motorcycle, two gold bars and 18 gold biscuits were found hidden inside the air filter. The man was immediately arrested and taken to the border outpost," said Nilotpal Kumar Pandey, DIG and spokesperson, South Bengal Frontier, BSF.

"The valuation of the contraband is about Rs 3,50,55,855. During questioning, the smuggler said that he had received the gold from one Alamgir in Bangladesh's Bojtala village on Wednesday evening. He was to cross the border and hand over the consignment to an unknown person in the Swarnakhali forest area. He was to receive Rs 10,000 for this delivery. The smuggler had hidden the gold in his motorcycle to evade detection," Pandey said.

The smuggler, along with the seized gold, has been handed over to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in Kolkata for further legal procedures.

The DIG commended the active role played by the troops and the intelligence-gathering efforts of those in charge of that job.

He reiterated that the BSF would do whatever it takes to prevent criminal activities such as smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border.

He called upon the local residents to assist the BSF in its efforts to ensure a crime-free environment.

Any information related to gold smuggling can be relayed to the BSF's Seema Saathi Helpline at 14419 or via WhatsApp to 9903472227. Pandey assured that the identity of the informants would remain confidential, and they would be rewarded if the information was found to be correct.

--IANS

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