West Bengal: BSF Detains Smuggler, Recovers Gold for the Second Day in a Row

Synopsis

The BSF has successfully intercepted a smuggler at Petrapole, recovering 564 grams of gold. This follows a similar incident involving a Bangladeshi woman attempting to smuggle gold bangles. The man, a Mumbai fashion designer, aimed to profit from the gold smuggling scheme but was caught by vigilant BSF personnel.

Key Takeaways

BSF arrested an Indian for gold smuggling.
Gold hidden in anal cavity, weighing 564.460 grams.
Value of seized gold is around Rs 49.13 lakh.
Smuggling attempts have increased in recent weeks.
Airports are strict, prompting alternative smuggling routes.

Kolkata, March 6 (NationPress) The Border Security Force (BSF) apprehended an individual at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Petrapole, located in the North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal, for attempting to illegally transport gold into India via the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB).

The suspect admitted to obtaining the gold in Dubai and was smuggling it into India through Bangladesh. Previously, on Tuesday, a woman from Comilla in Bangladesh was arrested at Petrapole while trying to smuggle in six bangles made of nearly 24 carat gold. The purity of the gold in these bangles was an impressive 99.75 percent, which alerted the vigilant BSF personnel.

“The individual detained on Wednesday is an Indian national. Personnel from the 145 Bn BSF were conducting routine inspections of individuals entering the country with valid documentation at Petrapole when a metal detector began to beep. This occurred while the detector was being used on the body of an Indian returning from Dubai via Bangladesh,” stated N K Pandey, DIG and spokesperson for the South Bengal Frontier of the BSF.

“Although the jawans couldn't find any metallic items on him, the metal detector continued to signal. Under questioning, the man broke down and revealed he had concealed gold in his anal cavity. Eventually, a polythene cylinder was retrieved, containing 564.460 grams of gold dust, valued at approximately Rs 49,13,624,” he added.

The suspect allegedly informed BSF authorities that he hails from Mumbai and works as a fashion designer in Dubai. In a bid to make some quick money, he chose to smuggle gold back into India. Air travel was ruled out due to strict checks at airports, leading him to devise a plan to travel to Bangladesh and then enter India by road.

He anticipated earning around Rs 2.5 lakh by selling the gold in India. The estimated value of 564.460 grams of 24 carat gold in Dubai is about Rs 46.77 lakh. Unfortunately for him, his scheme was thwarted by the vigilance of the BSF personnel. He has since been handed over to the relevant authorities for further action, according to Pandey.

This incident marks the third occasion in less than a month that the BSF troops from the South Bengal Frontier have encountered attempts by smugglers to conceal gold within body cavities, the DIG reported.

Previously, smugglers apprehended on February 20 and 21 had concealed 2.54 kg of gold within their bodies, with a total value of Rs 2.23 crore.