Kolkata, July 24 (Agency) In what is being touted as the biggest single seizure of gold along the Indo-Bangladesh border, the BSF has seized around 41.50 kg of the yellow metal worth over Rs 21 crore near village Gunarmath in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. Acting on an intelligence tip-off, the BSF personnel of border outpost Gunarmath under South Bengal Frontier recovered five bags containing 321 gold biscuits, four gold bars, a gold coin and a wooden country boat smuggled from the riverine area of the India-Bangladesh border along Ichhamati river, it said in a media release.
Four mobile phones, packing material and Bangladeshi newspapers were also recovered from the smugglers early on Thursday. The 24-carat gold weighs 41.49 kg and has an approximate market value of Rs 21.22 crores. The BSF ambush party saw 7-8 suspected smugglers crossing the international border by a wooden country boat over the Ichhamati river and entering the Indian territory carrying some bags at around 6-30 pm. On being challenged, the smugglers jumped into the river and went back to the Bangladesh side leaving behind the booty.