(District-North 24 Parganas)
On 19 February, 2022, at around 1050 hrs, troops of ICP Petrapole, 179 Battalion under South Bengal Frontier apprehended an Indian truck driver red handed with US$10,000 based on specific information. The value of the seized US Dollars in Indian Rupees is Rs 7,46,800.
At ICP Petrapole, 179 battalion, Sector Kolkata, troops on Duty observed, an Indian truck driver was approaching the CWC parking lot (as his truck, WB 23 C 4427, was parked in the parking lot). Seeing the suspicious movement of the truck driver, the Border Security Force troops apprehended the man for security check. On a thorough search of the apprehended person, US$ 10,000/- was found from his possession which he had hidden in the bag and in his dress which he was wearing.
On interrogation of the apprehended truck driver, he identified himself as Ashraful Dafadar, age 31, S/o- Mahabur Dafadar, Village Janipur, PS-Gopal Nagar, District- North 24 Parganas.
He further revealed that he drives the truck (WB 23 C 4427) in Bangaon as a truck driver. The person revealed that he was going to Bangladesh with the truck parked at CWC Parking, Petrapole. The person revealed that this money was given by his brother Rashidul Dafadar. After crossing the duty line of BSF, the money was to be handed over to a person named Tutol Dafadar in the Benapole parking lot in Bangladesh. The person further revealed that as soon as he entered ICP Petrapole, he was caught by the Border Security Force during security checking.
The apprehended truck driver along with the seized material has been handed over to the Customs Office Petrapole for further legal proceedings.
The Public Relations Officer of the South Bengal Frontier stated that the Customs’ Officials have been informed in detail about the incident. The Border Security Force and other stakeholder agencies are fully committed to preventing smuggling in Petrapole under the guise of import and export vehicles and personal belongings of passengers. The BSF troops are constantly keeping a watch on the smugglers who have ulterior motives to carry out cross-border crime through ICP Petrapole.
