BSF DETAINED A SMUGGLER WITH 7 GOLD BRACELETS

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Vigilant jawans of Kolkata Sector under South Bengal Frontier (BSF) apprehended a smuggler with 07 gold bracelets at ICP Petrapole. The weight of the seized gold is 1228.430 grams, the estimated value of which is estimated at Rs 72,29,311/-. The smuggler was trying to bring these gold bracelets by dodging the BSF jawans and hiding them in the cabin of the empty truck coming back to India from Bangladesh.

It is worth mentioning that, on the basis of intelligence received on August 10, 2023, during vehicle checking at ICP Petrapole at 1250 noon, a suspicious truck (Reg. no.  WB–91-6313) was stopped at ICP Petrapole near passenger gate. During the search, the jawans recovered 07 gold bracelets from the improvised cavity made inside the cabin of the truck. Investigation revealed that gold bracelets were coated with silver to mislead.  Jawans immediately seized all the gold bracelets and the truck and took the truck driver into custody for further questioning.

The apprehended truck driver has been identified as Kamlesh Acharya, S/o Sadanand Acharya, village Sutiya, district North 24 Parganas.

In preliminary inquiry, Kamlesh Acharya revealed that he is a resident of Sutiya, Gaighata. He revealed that he works as a truck driver and regularly goes to Benapole, Bangladesh carrying export goods. Today he was coming to India from Bangladesh with an empty truck, when Ronnie, a resident of Benapole, Bangladesh contacted him and gave him a packet and told him to reach India and hand over the goods to an unknown person who would meet him in Bangaon.  After this, he kept this gold in the truck's cabin. But on reaching India, BSF caught him with the packet during vehicle checking near ICP main gate.

The apprehended truck driver has been handed over to the Custom Office Petrapole along with the seized gold.

Shri A K Arya, DIG, Public Relations Officer, BSF South Bengal Frontier has expressed happiness over this achievement of the jawans. He stated that BSF has tightened its noose on every nefarious activities of smugglers. The officer advised the people not to adopt the route of smuggling under any circumstances. He appeals to people living on the border to report any information related to gold smuggling through their Seema Saathi helpline no. 14419 or through WhatsApp messages or voice messages on 9903472227 A suitable reward will be given to the person providing concrete information, and their identity will be kept confidential.