Chinese-made pistol, 115 gold biscuits seized by BSF

KOLKATA: Troops and officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) seized a Chinese-manufactured pistol with magazines and ammunition and gold biscuits worth Rs 3.7 crore from the India-Bangladesh border in the districts of Nadia and North 24-Parganas on Wednesday. Both the pistol and the gold were being smuggled into India from across the border.
“Around 11.50 am, troops of the 85 Bn BSF posted at Vijaymath Border Outpost in the Gandhina village in the Murutia police station area of Nadia spotted some Bangladeshis throwing a couple of plastic packets wrapped in cloth across the border fence into India. The Bangladeshis were challenged as they were on Indian soil beyond the fence but they ran back towards Khajipur village in Bangladesh. The BSF officers and troops opened the packets and recovered a Chinese-made pistol, two magazines and four rounds of ammunition. This is the first such seizure along the India-Bangladesh border in the past several months,” a BSF officer of the South Bengal Frontier said.

The pistol, magazines and ammunition were handed over to the Murutia police station. The authorities are trying to find out who the weapon was meant for. “It may have been smuggled in for a criminal or by smugglers on the Indian side to be sold in the illicit arms market,” a police officer said.

On Wednesday morning, the officers and troops of the 40 Bn BSF posted at the Kalyani BOP near Bongaon received information of a consignment of gold entering India from across the border. A road block was set up and vehicles passing through the Kalyani-Haridaspur Road were checked. Before long two persons on a motorcycle were spotted. Before they reached the road block, they stopped the motorcycle and jumped into a nullah near the Timonia village in the Bongaon police station area. The motorcycle was seized and taken to the Haridaspur Border Outpost.

“A search led to the seizure of 115 gold biscuits from under the seat of the motorcycle. They weighed 3.3 kg and the approximate value in the market is Rs 3.7 crore. The gold has been handed over to customs officials at Petrapole for processing. In 2014, The BSF’s South Bengal Frontier has seized over 70 kg gold and apprehended 35 smugglers along the India-Bangladesh border,” the BSF officer added.

On Tuesday, the 125 Bn of the BSF seized Fake Indian Currency Notes of face value Rs 12,95,500 and apprehended an Indian national named Mukul Miyan (35) in the Kaliachak police station area of Malda.