Again, a large amount of gold bars were recovered from the India-Bangladesh border. In this incident, a smuggler was arrested by the Indian Border Guard. The man was arrested by the Indian Border Guard Force personnel of Ranaghat border post of 68 Battalion under South Bengal border. Based on specific information, the officials on duty recovered 17 gold bars from that area.
The weight of the seized gold is approximately 16.7 kg with an estimated market value of Rs 10 crore 23 lakh or about 13.5 crore rupees. Smugglers were trying to take these gold bars from Bangladesh to India.
Read more: Gold worth around 11.5 crore rupees recovered in a month, 12 arrested
According to the Indian Border Guard, they received tip-off that a large quantity of gold bars was being smuggled illegally. After receiving specific information, the Border Guard Force members led by the commander divided into two groups and waited for the smugglers by hiding on the roadside in suspicious areas.
On Saturday (November 4) around 11 pm, the Indian Border Guards saw a suspicious bike rider approaching. The members of the Indian Border Guarding Force approached him and started questioning him.
Suspicious of the man’s words during the interrogation, they searched him and his bike. At that time, 17 gold bars were found inside the cloth belt tied around the person’s waist. The gold bars were immediately seized and the biker arrested.
The arrested Azor Mandal is 27 years old. He is a resident of Rajkol village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Azhar Mandal said in the interrogation, I am a flower farmer. Said to be associated with smuggling at the border for the last six months.
He also said that he took this gold bar from Alam Mandal, a resident of Matila village in Bangladesh and was going to hand it over to Bangaon in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. But during the search on the way, the border guards arrested him along with the gold bar.
The arrested person and the seized gold have been handed over to Kolkata Customs for further legal proceedings. Earlier in September last too, members of the Ranaghat border post seized a huge consignment of 23 kg gold and arrested a smuggler.
So far this year, South Bengal border guards have seized 150 kg of gold. In this regard, South Bengal Border Guard DIG AK Arya said that the notorious smugglers trap the poor and innocent people with the lure of a small amount of money. Notorious gangs of smugglers target poor people rather than directly engaging in crimes like smuggling.
Also read: 1 arrested along with 5 crore gold on Bangladesh-India border
He appealed to the people living along the border to report any information related to gold smuggling to BSF’s border partner helpline. Appropriate reward will be given to the person providing correct information and his identity will be kept confidential.
DD/TTN
