West Bengal Police arrested a man and seized five gold biscuits weighing 681 grams and valued at over ₹90 lakh during a vehicle check in the Sahebganj area under Dinhata police station in Cooch Behar district on Tuesday night, 9 September. The accused, identified as Rezaul Haque, a resident of Chowdhuryhat gram panchayat, was found with the contraband concealed inside the waistband of his trousers.

How the Arrest Unfolded

Acting on specific intelligence regarding cross-border smuggling activity, a police team intensified checking operations along Sahebganj Road late Tuesday night. Officers conducting routine naka checking noticed a person behaving suspiciously and moved in for a search.

During the inspection, Haque lifted his shirt at the officers' direction, revealing five gold biscuits tucked inside his trouser belt. He was immediately detained and, after initial questioning, formally placed under arrest. According to police, Haque initially refused to disclose the source of the gold or provide any information about its origin.

What the Seizure Revealed

The five gold biscuits recovered from Haque's possession weighed a little over 681 grams in total. The seized gold has been confiscated and sent for further examination as part of the ongoing investigation. Haque was produced before a court on Wednesday, following which police were expected to seek his custody for extended questioning.

Investigators are now working to establish where Haque sourced the gold and whether he was operating alone or as part of a larger smuggling network. Police suspect he may be linked to an organised gold smuggling racket active in the region, according to officials.

A Pattern of Seizures in the Border Belt

This arrest is not an isolated incident. Just days earlier, police recovered gold biscuits concealed inside tennis balls in the border area of Dinhata — a method that led investigators to suspect the involvement of a coordinated smuggling network. The Dinhata and adjoining border areas have come under heightened scrutiny amid growing concerns over cross-border gold trafficking.

Notably, last month, authorities seized gold worth more than ₹1 crore at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, recovering around 900 grams from passengers on a Kolkata-bound flight from Bangkok. Two individuals were arrested in that case. Earlier, on 6 August, gold and diamond jewellery — including pieces studded with rubies and emeralds — worth approximately ₹1 crore was recovered from domestic cargo at the same airport, leading to one more arrest.

Wider Implications for Border Security

The cluster of seizures across Cooch Behar's border belt and Kolkata's international airport points to what investigators describe as an organised smuggling corridor in West Bengal. The use of concealment techniques ranging from body-strapping to hollowed sports equipment suggests a network that adapts methods to evade detection. Police have not yet confirmed whether the various cases are linked, but the geographic and temporal proximity has prompted a coordinated investigative push across agencies.

With Haque's custody hearing expected to clarify the supply chain, authorities say the investigation could expand significantly in the coming days.