BSF foils 3 smuggling attempts in a week, seizes 2.4 kg gold worth Rs 1.48 crore from South Bengal

New Delhi [India], November 24 : In a big blow to the smugglers, the Border Security Force (BSF) foiled three gold smuggling attempts within a week and seized 2.4 kg gold worth Rs 1.48 crore from South Bengal.
BSF's South Bengal Frontier troops deployed at Integrated Check Post (ICP) Petrapole have broken the back of smugglers and succeeded in thwarting the third, the most recent gold smuggling on November 19.
They also apprehended an Indian smuggler with a packet of gold paste while he was trying to smuggle this gold (in gel form) from Bangladesh to India by hiding it in his underwear.
"The weight of the seized gold gel is 949 grams and the estimated value is Rs 58,36,350," said the BSF in a statement on Friday.
According to the information received, the BSF said, an inbound passenger named Shakkeer Pambathuvalappil Sulaiman arrived at the BSF frisking point for security clearance.
"While frisking, the metal detector indicated the presence of a metal substance in his lower body. A plastic packet of gold in gel form was recovered from the passenger which was concealed in his underwear. Subsequently, troops apprehended the smuggler and seized the item," said the BSF, which is mandated to guard the 4,096 km India-Bangladesh border," the BSF said.
During interrogation, the 36-year-old smuggler, a resident of Erumapetty village in Kerala's Thrissur district, revealed that he was coming from Dubai by Air when his friend, an Indian national named Aabid of his village in Erumapetty, met him at Dubai Airport and told him to take this gold consignment and go to Kolkata in India.
"Aabid offered Rs 20,000 to Sulaiman for this work and said that a person (unknown) will receive the consignment in Kolkata after successfully crossing over to India," said the border guarding force.
"Sulaiman agreed to the offer and took the consignment. After taking the consignment he came to Dhaka by air, then he adopted a bus route and came to Benapole. When he was trying to cross the security checking area, the smuggler was frisked by the duty person at the passenger terminal and was apprehended with the gold consignment," BSF added.
The apprehended person and the seized goods have been handed over to Customs, said the BSF.
"This is the third seizure of gold within the last seven days, out of which two attempts were made of gold paste. In these seven days, Border Security Force personnel have seized 2.4 kg of gold worth Rs 1.48 crore," the BSF said.
AK Arya, DIG, Public Relations Officer, South Bengal Frontier said that notorious smugglers trap poor and innocent people by luring them with small amounts of money.
"The notorious smuggling gangs are not directly involved in crimes like smuggling, so they target poor people," Arya said.
He has appealed to the people living on the border that if they come across any information related to gold smuggling, then they can give this information on BSF's Seema Sathi helpline number 14419.
"Apart from this, South Bengal Frontier has also issued another number 9903472227 on which WhatsApp messages or voice messages related to gold smuggling can also be sent. An appropriate reward amount will be given to the person giving concrete information and his identity will be kept confidential," said the officer.