Kolkata, Aug 5 The Border Security Force (BSF) arrested two smugglers and seized gold worth over Rs 1 crore from them along the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) in the Nadia district of West Bengal on Tuesday.
"Troops of the 11 Bn BSF of the South Bengal Frontier, posted at the Vijaymath Border Out Post, acted on reliable intelligence inputs and nabbed the smugglers travelling by bus from Karimpur to Krishnanagar. The gold was cleverly hidden in their slippers," a senior BSF official said.
A special team was formed to apprehend the smugglers who were transporting the gold from Bangladesh to India.
Around 10 am, the jawans spotted the bus, mentioned in the intelligence input, near the Mahisbathan area. The jawans pursued the bus and stopped it.
A search led to the seizure of seven pieces of gold hidden in cavities in the slippers of the two smugglers.
“Two mobile phones were also seized. The two men were arrested and taken to the Vijaymath BOP,” the official added.
Upon questioning, it came to be known that the smugglers are residents of the neighbouring Murshidabad district and work as labourers. They claimed that they received the gold from someone in Jalangi (Murshidabad). They were to hand it over to a person who would meet them at the Krishnanagar bus stand. They were to receive some money for this work.
"During further questioning, some important clues related to this particular smuggling racket were unearthed. An in-depth investigation of the entire matter is underway, so that all involved in this illegal activity can be identified and appropriate action can be taken accordingly," the official said.
The weight of the seized gold is 1030.720 grams, and its estimated value is Rs 1,05,75,187, the BSF said. The smugglers, along with the gold and the mobile phones, have been handed over to the concerned department for further legal action.
The official said this is the third time that the BSF has foiled gold smuggling attempts along the IBB in West Bengal over the last few days. This was possible due to the dedicated and tireless efforts of the jawans guarding the border.
"I would again appeal to the border population to share any information about gold smuggling through the BSF's 'Seema Sathi' helpline number 14419. People can also send voice or text messages with information to the WhatsApp number 9903472227. Those providing credible information will be suitably rewarded and their identities kept strictly confidential," he said.
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