Border Security Force (BSF) has foiled a major smuggling attempt and arrested an Indian smuggler with gold worth over Rs 3 crores from the India-Bangladesh border.
According to a release from BSF, Jawans of the border outpost Angrail, 5 Battalion, BSF on Sunday arrested an Indian smuggler with two gold bricks and 30 gold biscuits.
The arrested smuggler was identified as Prosenjit Mandal, Village-Haldar Para, District-North 24 Parganas in West Bengal.
“Smugglers were trying to smuggle these gold biscuits and bricks from Bangladesh to India. The total weight of the seized gold is 4.829 kg and the estimated value is Rs 3.10 crore,” BSF said.
According to a BSF spokesperson, on January 21, around 3 pm, BSF personnel deployed on border duty observed the movement of three miscreants who crossed into India from the Ichchamati River (Internation Boundary) through a dense forest of wild grass and bamboo bushes.
“They were moving secretly towards the Indian border. There is Haldarpara village in this area in which the houses extend till the banks of Ichamati river, due to which the miscreants get an opportunity to carry out illegal activities. The BSF jawans recognized that one of the miscreants was carrying something on his shoulder and chased that miscreant. After a lot of effort, BSF jawans succeeded in catching the criminal carrying the consignment of gold. On opening the belt of the cloth seized from the arrested criminal, five pieces of brown taped packets containing two gold bricks and 30 gold biscuits were recovered,” the BSF spokesperson said.
During interrogation, he revealed that on January 21, a person from village Angrel (Ghoshpara) came to his house and asked him to bring gold from Bangladesh, which a Bangladeshi citizen would give them.
“A Bangladeshi man swam across the Ichhamati River. Crossed and handed over the gold to him near the banks of the Ichhamati River. When they came back to the Indian side, he was informed by phone by the person who keeping an eye on the BSF sentries that they had been spotted by the BSF jawans and asked them to flee immediately,” the spokesperson added.
“During interrogation, he further told them that after successfully delivering the gold, he would be paid Rs 500 as labour charges,” he added.
The arrested smugglers and seized gold have been handed over to DRI, Kolkata for further legal action.
On this achievement of the soldiers, the Public Relations Officer of South Bengal Frontier, A.K. Arya, DIG has expressed happiness.
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 to BSF’s ‘Seema Sathi’ helpline number 14419. An appropriate reward amount will be given to the person giving concrete information and his identity will be kept secret. (ANI)
