BSF seizes over 1 kg gold along Indo-Bangladesh border; April's haul reaches 9.4 kg

Kolkata, May 1 (IANS) In its continuing effort to thwart cross-border smuggling, the Border Security Force (BSF) seized over a kilogram of gold that was being smuggled from Bangladesh to India close to the Natna Border Outpost in the Nadia district of West Bengal on Tuesday.

This was the 13th seizure of gold by the South Bengal Frontier of the BSF in April. The total quantity of gold seized during the month was 9.4 kg and its value is estimated to be Rs 6.4 crore, a BSF spokesperson said. The gold seized on Tuesday is valued at Rs 84,70,130.

The seizure took place when BSF troops of the 84 Battalion, acting on specific information, frisked an Indian national returning from his farmland across the border fence. Eight pieces of gold of various dimensions were recovered from him. The smuggler has been identified as Fidel Sk from the Nabinagar village in Nadia.

“During interrogation, Fidel Sk confessed that while tending to his crops, he met a Bangladeshi associate and a plan was hatched. Soon after he left his farmland and crossed the fence gate (where there is possibility of frisking) to the border road, the Bangladeshi threw a packet across the fence at a designated spot. Fidel picked it up and was walking towards Nabinagar when he was apprehended by the troopers,” A K Arya, DIG, BSF and spokesperson of the South Bengal Frontier, said.

According to the plan, Fidel was to take the gold to the Dumdum railway station in Kolkata (about 130 km away) and hand it over to an unknown person on a Royal Enfield motorcycle after exchanging the code -- ‘786-92 The Royal Bengal Tiger/Same to You’. After preliminary questioning, he was handed over with the gold to the Customs department in Chapra for necessary legal action.

“Our troops are doing a wonderful job. We shall continue to take strict action against border criminals. Those who wish for border crime to come to an end, may contact the BSF's Seema Sathi helpline number 14419 if they get any information related to gold smuggling. The South Bengal Frontier also has another number 9903472227 on which WhatsApp messages or voice messages related to gold smuggling can be sent. A suitable reward amount will be given to the person providing concrete information and his/her identity will not be disclosed,” Arya added.