Customs officers nab smuggler with 30 gold bars worth Rs 1 crore

Kolkata: The Customs department have nabbed a gold smuggler and seized several gold bars from his possession.

The sleuths suspect the accused might have been used as a carrier by the smuggling team. The arrested person identified as Samir Halder, a resident of Petrapol area.

Sources informed that the officers of Customs department at Petrapol border on Tuesday received a tip off regarding an attempt that was to be made to smuggle in gold into the Indian territory. Based on the information the officers were waiting for any suspicious movement at Jamtala on Jessore Road. As they were checking several vehicles on suspicion, some of the officers noticed that a biker stopped his vehicle a bit far from them.

When some of the officers asked him to come forward, Halder allegedly turned his bike and tried to flee from there. On seeing him getting away, some of the officers chased him in a car and were able to intercept him within a few hundred meters. He was detained and searched thoroughly. During the search operation, the sleuths recovered 30 gold bars weighing approximately 30.5 kg from his trouser's pocket. The gold is worth Rs one crore.

He was immediately taken to the customs office where he was interrogated. During the interrogation it was revealed that Halder was supposed to deliver the gold bars to a person at Bongaon rail station.

In another incident, the 113 battalion of Border Security Force (BSF) posted at Gobindapara Border Out Post (BOP) seized approximately 9 kg of silver ornaments and 60 bottles of phensedyl (used as drug) and

arrested a person.