BSF foils smuggling bid at Indo-Bangladesh border in Nadia, gold worth Rs 2.35 cr seized

"District-Nadia, May 12, Due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in the country, BSF has increased strictness on the India-Bangladesh border, due to which BSF had a big success before the fourth phase of voting. Vigilant personnel of Border outpost Haldarpada, 32 Battalion, BSF under South Bengal Frontier foiled a smuggling attempt at the International Border in Nadia district and seized 26 gold biscuits," the BSF said in a release on Sunday.

"The weight of the seized gold biscuits is 3.208 kg and the estimated value is Rs 2,35,46,720," the BSF said.

On May 11, the jawans of border outpost Haldarpada received information from the intelligence department of BSF about the possible smuggling of gold. On receiving the information, the Jawans laid an ambush in the suspected area, the BSF said.

"One group was deployed in a banana plantation near the international border to keep an eye on the IB forward area and the other group was deployed in a bamboo thicket near the fence so that they could keep an eye on smugglers coming near the fence," it said.

During the ambush, the Jawans saw two smugglers moving towards the fencing with sharp-edged weapons (Dah) and some packets in their hands. At a distance of about 150 meters in a banana garden, Jawans saw three other smugglers who had come to collect gold.

"When the smugglers were about to throw the packet over the fence, the Jawans challenged them to stop. But suddenly the smugglers attacked Jawans with sharp-edge Daah. Feeling a threat to their life, Jawans fired one round from his non-lethal weapon in a safe direction to scare the miscreants. Due to this the smugglers got scared, threw away their packets and ran back towards Bangladesh," the BSF said in its release.

The jawans conducted a thorough search of the place and recovered two sharp-edged Daah and three small packets from the spot, when opened, 26 gold biscuits were found. The jawans seized the gold and brought it to the border post for further legal action, the BSF said.

The seized gold has been handed over to the Customs Office, Banpur for further legal proceedings, it added.

Polling in the fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections will be held on May 13 (Monday), in Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur, and Birbhum Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal.

West Bengal, along with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, is one of the few states where the 2024 Lok Sabha election will be held in all seven phases.

Polling for the first three phases has already been conducted, and the remaining constituencies will cast their votes on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. (ANI)