Kolkata, Aug 20: Border Security Force (BSF) on Tuesday said that they have seized four kg of gold and 10 kg of silver granules in separate incidents along the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB).

BSF, South Bengal Frontier, DIG and Spokesperson, A. K. Arya said that while the gold was seized from a smuggler in West Bengal's Nadia district, the silver was recovered from two women in adjoining North 24-Parganas.

“A jawan from the Vijaypur Border Outpost in Nadia spotted a man moving on a bicycle through a bamboo grove next to a dense banana plantation. On being challenged, the man turned abusive. When the jawan attempted to search him, the man suddenly whipped out a sharp weapon and slashed at the jawan from the 32 Bn,” the DIG said.

He said that the jawan managed to move away in time but the sharp weapon slit his shirt near the left shoulder, adding that fearing another attack, the BSF personnel fired one round that missed the smuggler, who fled through the dense bamboo thickets.

“The scuffle that had ensued had dislodged a makeshift belt around the man's waist. A search of the area led to its recovery. There were eight gold bricks, 22 gold biscuits and a small piece of gold inside the wrapping. The total weight of the gold is four kg and it is valued at nearly Rs 4.32 crore,” the DIG Arya said.

About the second incident, the DIG informed that the troops of the Panitar Border Outpost were on alert after receiving intelligence inputs of an attempt to smuggle silver across the IBB.

“They stopped two women attempting to move towards Bangladesh. The women attempted to flee but were caught by women constables. A search by the women constables led to the recovery of two packets of silver granules from the undergarments of one woman. Two more packets were found lying in the paddy field nearby. The value of the seized silver is nearly Rs 8.37 lakh,” DIG Arya added.

He said that during interrogation, the women said that they were from Dakshinpara in North 24-Parganas and had been given the silver by a person in the Itinda village, close to where they lived.

“They were to hand over the consignment to a Bangladeshi across the zero line and were to receive Rs 600 each. The duo, along with the silver, have been handed over to the Customs Department in Ghojadanga for further legal action,” the DIG said.

He informed that the gold seized in Nadia has been handed over to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Kolkata.

--IANS

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