BSF seizes gold worth Rs 12 lakh in North 24 Parganas, two arrested
North 24 Parganas: The Border Security Force (BSF) along the South Bengal border has arrested two Bangladeshi smugglers and seized five gold bangles and three gold chains worth more than Rs 12 lakh. Integrated Check Post (ICP) Petrapole in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, officials said on Sunday.
The arrested man and woman have been identified as Samdhar Dhar (56) and Reena Dhar (44) of Chittagong district of Bangladesh.
According to officials, both the accused were trying to smuggle gold bangles and chains from Bangladesh to India through ICP Petrapole without any valid documents or customs declaration. According to BSF spokesperson, ICP Petrapole is one of the most sensitive areas from the point of view of smuggling, but BSF is continuously foiling the plans of smugglers with its vigilant duty.
“Vigilant personnel of ICP Petrapole, 145 Battalion, BSF, under South Bengal Frontier, caught two Bangladeshi travelers red-handed with five gold bangles and three gold chains. Both the passengers were trying to smuggle these gold chains and bangles from Bangladesh to India through ICP. Petrapol. The seized gold bangles and gold chain weigh approximately 194 grams and have an estimated value of Rs 12,13,861,” the officer said.
The BSF spokesperson further said that on January 13, BSF 145 battalion personnel, while on their daily duty at ICP Petrapole, noticed suspicious movement of some Bangladeshi passport holders at 9.40 am. When the female BSF personnel along with her other colleagues on duty separated the two suspected passengers and searched them with modern equipment, five gold bangles and three gold chains worn by both the Bangladeshi passengers (one female and one male) were recovered. Were recovered.
“The gold bangles and chain were coated with dark copper to hide them from the prying eyes of the search team,” the officer said.
Both the accused were trying to smuggle gold bangles and chains from Bangladesh to India without any valid documents or customs declaration. BSF personnel soon seized the gold and took the two passengers into custody for questioning, the official said.
During interrogation, the passengers told that they were husband and wife and were residents of Bangladesh. Samadhan Dhar further said that he was going to Kolkata for the treatment of his wife. All these gold ornaments were given to him by his elder brother which he had to sell in India to get his wife treated. But during the search by Border Security Force personnel while crossing ICP Petrapole, when no proper documents were found, they took both of them into custody along with gold bangles and chain.
The arrested passengers and seized gold jewelery have been handed over to Custom Office Petrapole for further legal proceedings.
The Public Relations Officer of South Bengal Frontier has expressed happiness over this achievement of the soldiers. He further said that notorious smugglers trap poor and innocent people by luring them with small amounts of money. Notorious trafficking gangs are not directly involved in crimes like smuggling, so they target poor people. He has appealed to the people living on the border that if they get any information related to gold smuggling, they can give this information on BSF’s Seema Sathi helpline number 14419.
Apart from this, South Bengal Frontier has also issued a number and it is sad that the message can be sent related to gold smuggling. Appropriate reward amount will be given to the person giving concrete information and his identity will be kept secret.
