West Bengal: BSF arrest smuggler with 89 gold biscuits worth Rs 12 crore on India-Bangladesh Border
North 24 Parganas: The Border Security Force (BSF) seized 89 gold biscuits valued at Rs 12 crore from the India-Bangladesh border of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal during the sixth phase voting of the Lok Sabha polls on May 25.
According to an official release, the Vigilant personnel of Border outpost Gunarmath, 05 Battalion under South Bengal Frontier, conducted a special operation in village Haldarpada in the area of the Border outpost and recovered 89 gold biscuits of different sizes from the house of Alok Paul (name changed) when the smuggler, after smuggling this gold consignment from Bangladesh to India, was hiding it in his home before further delivery.
"The total weight of the seized gold is 16.067 Kgs and the estimated market value is Rs 12 crore," the release said.
According to AK Arya, DIG and spokesperson of South Bengal Frontier, "On May 25, the Jawans of border outpost Gunarmath received information about a very big consignment of gold in a house in the border village Haldarpada. As soon as the information was obtained, a special operation was launched under which the said suspicious house of the village was cordoned off from all sides. After this, the house was searched in the presence of dignitaries of the village. During the search, Alok Paul (name changed) was caught with the consignment of gold which he had hidden in a cloth belt in his house."
During interrogation, Alok Paul revealed that in the last week of March 2024, he came in contact with a gold smuggler from Bangladesh.
"He assured that he would pay him Rs 400 every day to keep his gold consignment hidden at home. For which he agreed and involved in this work. After this, the unknown smuggler kept bringing consignments of gold to his house," the release added.
On May 25, 2024, at around 12:40 pm, the same smuggler had given him 89 Gold Biscuits and Bricks of different shapes & sizes to hide in the house. He further said that he has already spent one month in jail for gold smuggling and his case is still going on in Bangaon Court.
The arrested smuggler and the seized gold consignment have been handed over to the Director of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Kolkata for further legal proceedings.
