Kolkata, March 3 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on Friday apprehended two cross-border smugglers and seized 2.56 kg gold biscuits valued at Rs 1.5 crore from them.
The smugglers were nabbed at the Haridaspur-Jayantipur border at Bongaon sub-division in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
A source said that the patrolling team of the BSF tracked the two arrested individuals whose movements looked suspicious.
When the patrolling team questioned them about their whereabouts, they gave "irrelevant and inconsistent answers", and suddenly tried to escape.
However, the BSF personnel quickly nabbed them.
The arrested persons have been identified as Zahir Hossain Mollah and Giasuddin Mondal. Both are residents of North 24 Parganas district.
During questioning, they admitted that they crossed the border to Bangladesh to get the gold biscuits from one Karim Mondal -- a resident of Jessore district there.
They were supposed to smuggle those gold biscuits from Bangladesh to India and hand them over to one Raju Biswas, who is also a resident of North 24 Parganas district.
The arrested duo were supposed to get Rs 20,000 each for carrying out the assignment.
In a massive search operation covering 40 premises of religious trusts and other entities that preach about "oneness philosophy" and run wellness centres, the Income Tax Department has found Rs 500 crore of undisclosed income and links to investments in tax havens.
Since the scam broke out, the aggrieved PMC Bank depositors have been carrying out a series of protests in the city, lodging police complaints and filing court cases against the bank management.
Anticipating deterioration of the law and order situation and to maintain communal harmony ahead of the Supreme Court's final verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case
