Gold biscuits worth over Rs 9.5 crore seized from India-Bangladesh border so far this month

kolkata: The Border Security Force’s (BSF) South Bengal Frontier seized over 16.5 kg of gold biscuits worth more than Rs 9.5 crore along the Indo-Bangladesh border, this month until present date.

The seizures were made this month. The gold was being smuggled from Bangladesh to India. The seizures were made based on tip offs received by the force. BSF

had already introduced a Seema Saathi helpline number 14419 where anyone in the border villages can tip off the force about gold smugglers. The force had also promised rewards in return for the useful information, keeping the identity of the

informants anonymous.

Recently, 4.667 kg (40 biscuits) of gold was hauled at the Petrapole ICP from a Bangladeshi truck driver transporting fish from Satkhira in Bangladesh to India.

The South Bengal Frontier stretches from the Sunderbans in the south to Malda in the north. However, the maximum seizures were in the district of North 24-Parganas.

The South Bengal Frontier is also planning to induct advanced high-tech metal detectors to further intensify the crackdown on trans-border smugglers at the Indo-Bangladesh border, BSF sources

said. The methods of smuggling are evolving, it was pointed out.

“We also need to upgrade our equipment to be able to catch the trans-border smugglers. Metals like gold and silver are often concealed in places difficult to detect. It could be inside the body, in small gaps of baggage, or inside a garment that has been specifically created for the purpose. It can also be in a powdered form” said the source.Last year, the South Bengal Frontier seized 113 kg of gold along the Indo Bangladesh border. The BSF is on the lookout for a gold smuggling racket.