BSF APPREHENDS A PASSENGER RED HANDED WHILE SMUGGLING GOLD AT ICP PETRAPOLE

BY A STAFF REPORTER: On 5th May 2023, the troops of ICP Petrapole, 145 Battalion under South Bengal Frontier, foiled an attempt to smuggle gold and apprehended a passenger red-handed with a 150.940-gram gold chain valued at Rs. 9,29,489/-. The incident took place in North 24 Parganas district.

At approximately 10:50 hrs, the troops on duty at the passenger terminal observed a suspicious passenger entering India from Bangladesh. When they stopped and questioned him, he could not provide satisfactory answers. Upon searching him, the jawans discovered a heavy gold chain hidden in his clothes. When they asked for the relevant documents and details, the passenger failed to present them, leading to his immediate apprehension. The apprehended passenger was identified as Shrikanto Chandra Singha, hailing from District Chittagong, Bangladesh.

During interrogation, the passenger revealed that he had been working as a goldsmith in his shop for six years and was visiting his uncle Dilip in Madhyamgram, Kolkata, for the first time. He intended to hand over the seized gold chain to his uncle, but the BSF party arrested him before he could do so.

The arrested passenger, along with the seized gold chain, was handed over to the Petrapole Customs Office. The Public Relations Officer of South Bengal Frontier urged people living on the border to report any information related to gold smuggling to BSF's Seema Saathi helpline number, 14419. They also issued another number, 9903472227, to which people could send WhatsApp or voice messages related to gold smuggling. Those who provide reliable information will receive a suitable reward, and their identity will be kept confidential.