BSF seizes smuggled gold worth over Rs 6 cr, nabs one along India-Bangladesh border

Kolkata, Feb 19 (PTI) The BSF apprehended an Indian man and allegedly seized gold worth more than Rs 6 crore from him while thwarting a cross-border smuggling attempt along the India-Bangladesh international border in West Bengal, sources said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday in the Horandipur border village area in the Nadia district. The area is guarded by the 32nd battalion of the BSF.

A local resident of Nadia was apprehended along with 16 gold bars and four gold biscuits weighing more than 10 kg. The operation was conducted in a farming field along the international border, a senior BSF officer said.

The apprehended man allegedly told the BSF party that he along with another Indian accomplice took the gold from a Bangladeshi man from across the border. The second Indian man managed to escape from the spot when the BSF troops challenged them to surrender, he said.

The seized gold, valued at about Rs 6.70 crore, was handed over to the officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) along with the apprehended man for further investigation, the officer said.

The south Bengal frontier of the BSF said, “Smugglers do not get directly involved in cross-border crimes but they target poor locals to get these criminal acts done.”

The force said any incident of cross-border crimes can be informed to it over the BSF ‘Seema Sathi’ (border friend) helpline at 14419.