New Delhi, October 18
The vigilant jawans of Border Outpost India One of the 73rd Battalion under BSF South Bengal Frontier foiled gold smuggling and arrested three farmers with 15 gold biscuits and eight gold pieces.
The officials said that when these farmers were trying to smuggle these gold biscuits and pieces illegally from Bangladesh to India by hiding them in the frame of a bicycle. The total weight of the seized gold is 2.75 kg and the estimated market value is Rs 1.98 crores.
Acting on specific information, on October 15, the jawans of Border Outpost "India One" of the 73rd Battalion searched the suspicious farmers and their bicycles returning from farming near the international border.
During the search, BSF jawans recovered 15 gold biscuits and eight gold pieces from three Indian farmers. All the gold biscuits and gold pieces were hidden in the frames of bicycles. The three apprehended farmers and the seized gold were brought to BOP India-1 for further processing.
During interrogation, the apprehended persons disclosed that after taking the consignment of gold from some unknown Bangladeshi national of Village Budh Para, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, they hid 12 gold pieces in the frame of one bicycle and 11 gold pieces inside the frame of another bicycle.
After crossing BSF Domination Line, this consignment of gold were supposed to be handed over to an unknown bus conductor who was expected to come to Sekhpara area at around 07:00 PM to collect the consignment. After delivery of the consignment, they were promised Rs.500 per gold piece. However, BSF arrested them before the delivery of the consignment along with the gold, officials sated further.
BSF South Bengal Frontier DIG Niloptal Kumar Pandey appreciated the efforts of BSF personnel and affirmed BSF's commitment to crackdown on smuggling activities.
He urged border residents to report any information related to gold smuggling to *BSF's Seema Sathi helpline 14419* or share information through WhatsApp on *9903472227*. He assured that informers will be rewarded and their identity will be kept confidential.
