Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 22: In a pre-dawn operation on Wednesday, police arrested a Bangladeshi national and an Indian accomplice near the India-Bangladesh border in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, on charges of illegal infiltration and smuggling assistance.

The foreign national has been identified as Maruf Ali, a resident of Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh, while the Indian broker is Ansar Ali, from the Ramnagar area under Lalgola police station in Murshidabad.

Acting on a tip-off about a planned infiltration, police from Raninagar station launched a raid in the Katlamari gram panchayat area. Both individuals were apprehended on the spot and taken into custody for questioning. Initial interrogation revealed that the Bangladeshi had crossed the border with direct assistance from the Indian broker, who resides close to the international boundary.

Authorities confirmed that both men would be produced in court today, where police are expected to request custodial remand for further investigation.

A senior officer from Murshidabad Police District confirmed the arrests and stated that a detailed probe is underway to uncover any larger network operating along the border.

Meanwhile, in a separate anti-smuggling operation, BSF jawans from the 143 Battalion recently foiled a gold smuggling attempt at the Hakimpur border post in North 24 Parganas district. One smuggler was caught red-handed with a 579-gram gold bar valued at approximately Rs 76.5 lac. The accused was handed over to local police for further action.

These incidents underline the continued vigilance required along the Indo-Bangladesh border, where smuggling and illegal crossings remain active threats despite heightened security measures.