(District: North 24 Parganas)
BSF troops detained three passport-bearing passengers with cosmetics and 21,000 Bangladeshi Taka at ICP Petrapole, located on the Indo-Bangladesh International Border under South Bengal Frontier. The estimated value of seized goods is Rs. 2,06,690.
On March 9, 2023, jawans of 145 Battalion, Sector Kolkata, based on intelligence inputs, conducted a special search operation near the passengers’ gate at ICP Petrapole on the international border. Meanwhile, three suspicious passengers going from India to Bangladesh were stopped by the jawans for search. During the search, a large quantity of cosmetics and 21,000 Bangladeshi Taka were recovered from their bags. The apprehended passengers were identified as Zulfikar Mandal (25), Uttam Kumar Adhikari (53), and Zakir Hussain (29) of village Bangaon, district North 24 Parganas.
During preliminary interrogation, the apprehended passengers revealed that they had bought these goods from the local market and were going to sell them after taking them to Bangladesh.
The apprehended passengers were handed over to Petrapole Customs along with the seized baggage.
The Public Relations Officer of South Bengal Frontier stated that the customs officials have been informed about the incident in detail. The Border Security Force and other stakeholder agencies are fully committed to preventing possible smuggling in the guise of import-export vehicles and personal belongings of passengers at Petrapole. The officer stated in clear words that through ICP Petrapole, BSF troops are constantly keeping an eye on the criminals who have wrong intentions to commit crimes on the border.
