North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India]: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday apprehended a smuggler and seized 45 gold biscuits weighing 5.24 kg worth Rs 3.07 crores at Integrated Check Post (ICP) Petrapole in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
“Vigilant jawans of ICP Petrapole, 145 Battalion under South Bengal Frontier apprehended a smuggler with 45 gold biscuits weighing 5.24 kg worth Rs 3.07 crores. The smuggler was trying to bring the gold biscuits in an empty truck coming back to India from Bangladesh,” BSF officials said.
The apprehended truck driver has been identified as Samrat Biswas who is from Pirojpur village, North 24 Parganas district.
In preliminary enquiry, he revealed that he works as a truck driver and regularly goes to Bangladesh carrying export goods. He said that on August 21, he went to Bangladesh to load sponge iron in the said truck.
“On August 25, when he was coming back to India, Suman Mandal resident of Benapole, District Jashore contacted him at ICP Benapole, Bangladesh parking area and handed over 45 gold biscuits,” officials said.
He further revealed that as per the instructions of Suman Mandal, he was about to come to India and hand over the gold biscuits to Salam Mondal who is a resident of Gopalnagar.
He further revealed that when he was returning to India, on reaching near the main gate of ICP Petrapole, BSF jawans caught him with 45 gold biscuits during vehicle checking, the officials said.
The apprehended smuggler along with the seized gold has been handed over to the Customs Office in Kolkata for further legal action, BSF said.
