(District-North 24 Parganas)
On 24 February, 2022, the troops of 179 Battalion Sector Kolkata conducted a vehicle checking campaign inside ICP Petrapole as part of daily routine. Around 1945 hrs, the Search Party stopped a suspicious truck (Regd. No. WB 25 H 1914) near the ICP Main Gate, returning to India from Bangladesh (Benpol) leaving export cargo. The truck was searched along with the driver in the presence of a BSF gazetted officer, Company Commander and other witnesses.. During the search, 13 small packets were found inside the cabin of the truck. As a result, a large quantity of chronic lymphocytic (leukoemia) and Hernicks-02 packets (hernicks) medicines and some metallic items were recovered upon opening the packets. The seized medicines and the total value of the truck were estimated at Rs.13,86,000/-. Border Security Force troops soon seized the truck and also took the driver into custody for questioning.
The apprehended truck driver has been identified as Abhijit Ghosh, Durgapur, West Bengal. In preliminary interrogation, Abhijit Ghosh revealed that he regularly goes to Bangladesh (Benapole) with export goods, he went to Bangladesh on February 20, 2022 with export goods. He further revealed that on 24 February, he was returning to India after unloading goods in Bangladesh (Benapole), during that time a person named Abdul Razzaq in ICP Benapole (Bangladesh) gave him this packet of medicines which was to be given to a person named Najmul in Bangaon (India), for which he was to get 1000/- rupees. The smuggler also admitted that he was trying to bring all these materials to India by hiding them in the cabin of the truck.
The apprehended truck driver along with the seized material has been handed over to the Police Station 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 officer added that BSF personnel are constantly keeping a watch on miscreants who have ulterior motives to commit crimes on the border through ICP Petrapole.