New Delhi, Mar 18 (IANS): The Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday said that its troopers seized 40 gold biscuits, worth Rs 2.42 crore, from the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas as smugglers were trying to bring the bullion into the country.
According to the BSF's South Bengal Frontier, the total weight of the seized gold biscuits is 4.6 kg and estimated cost is Rs 2,42,36,856.
"On March 17, at around 7.45 a.m., a trooper of the Border Out Post Dobarpara under 158 Battalion noticed the movements of a suspect. The jawan challenged him to stop. Seeing the BSF jawan, the smuggler threw his bag and dagger and fled towards Bangladesh taking the advantage of dense vegetation and the Ichhamati river," officials said.
By then senior officers had reached the spot and when the smuggler's bag was opened, 40 gold biscuits were recovered from it.
The seized gold has been handed over to Customs Office Petrapole for further legal proceedings, the BSF said in a statement.
DIG, South Bengal Frontier, Surjeet Singh Guleria stated that the BSF is taking strict steps to stop smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border and due to this, the people involved in such crimes are facing a lot of difficulties.
BSF intelligence is constantly engaged in gathering information to find which gang was behind this gold smuggling attempt, he added.