BSF Seizes Over 170 kg of Gold Smuggled from Bangladesh in 2024
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Kolkata, Dec 1 (NationPress) The South Bengal Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF) has announced the confiscation of 170.48 kg of gold, amounting to Rs 118.63 crore, that was being illegally smuggled into India from Bangladesh in 2024.
A senior BSF official stated that a total of 105 gold smuggling cases were successfully disrupted, leading to the arrest of 86 Indian and 32 Bangladeshi smugglers.
“During this period, silver seizures amounted to 159 kg, valued at Rs 1.15 crore. Typically, silver is smuggled from India to Bangladesh,” he mentioned on Sunday, coinciding with the BSF's 60th Raising Day.
He elaborated that when it comes to gold smuggling, perpetrators have employed various innovative methods, such as concealing it within their bodies, in vehicles and luggage, inside shoe soles, and even in agricultural tools, but were apprehended.
“The BSF also managed to thwart attempts to smuggle gold in paste form,” the official added.
The South Bengal Frontier oversees 913 km of the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB), stretching from Malda in northern Bengal to the Sundarbans in the south.
The 20 battalions operating under four sector headquarters cover the districts of Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24-Parganas, and South 24-Parganas.
“This border is among the most challenging in the country, featuring difficult terrains like the Sundarbans, riverine areas, charlands, densely populated villages, and unfenced sections. The relentless efforts of BSF jawans are key to maintaining peace, security, and integrity along this crucial border,” the official stated.
He added that the BSF has been largely successful in preventing infiltration along this highly porous border, which contains numerous zero-line villages.
“This success can be attributed to advanced surveillance systems, including CCTV cameras, PTZ cameras, and drones. The border area has seen the development of a robust surveillance mechanism under the Electronic Surveillance for Vulnerable Patches (ESVP) initiative,” he asserted.
In 2024, the BSF apprehended 1,742 individuals attempting to illegally cross the IBB.
“Out of these, 1,301 were Bangladeshi nationals and 441 were Indians. We also detained 39 touts who facilitated this infiltration,” he revealed.
The BSF has also made significant strides against human trafficking through its Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs).
“Numerous Bangladeshi and Indian women have been rescued before they could fall victim to the nefarious networks operating within the country,” the official noted.
The Frontier has made noteworthy contributions in the fight against narcotics, seizing 1,73,628 bottles of the banned cough syrup Phensedyl (valued at Rs 3.62 crore), 1,223 kg of Ganja, 69,702 Yaba tablets (valued at Rs 6.95 crore), and 17.5 kg of narcotic powder. A total of 51 arrests have been made related to these cases, with 41 being Indians.
Additionally, more than 800 endangered species, including a Peruvian Alpaca and rare Chinese Golden Pheasants, were rescued from traffickers and handed over to the forest department for rehabilitation.
