NEW DELHI: Over the last two days, troops of the Border Security Force’s South Bengal Frontier have seized Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) of Rs 800,000 face value and 42 kg of marijuana (ganja) that was being smuggled across the Indo-Bangladesh border. Two narcotics smugglers have been nabbed.
Early on Tuesday, troops of the 20Bn in Malda seized the FICN near Border Outpost Daultapur. Acting on specific inputs, the troops launched an anti-FICN drive along the border. Before long, they spotted some miscreants throwing a packet into India from the Bangladesh side.
“Before Indian criminals could reach the spot, BSF troops recovered the black bag. The Bangladeshi criminals fled under cover of darkness into the high crops. The bag carried 600 notes of Rs 1,000 face value and 400 of Rs 500 face value. The consignment has been handed over to the Baisnabnagar police station,” a BSF officer said.
In 2013, the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier seized FICN of face value more than Rs 84,44,800. In 2014, the face value went up to Rs 1,79,57,500. In 2015, FICN of face value Rs 44,83,500 has been seized so far. The BSF also apprehended five FICN smugglers this year.
Around 3.50 am on Monday, BSF authorities generated specific intelligence regarding smuggling of huge quantity of marijuana from India to Bangladesh. Troops of the 26Bn BSF launched a special operation at BOP Ramchandrapur and laid an ambush to trap the smugglers.
“They noticed a movement of 3-4 persons carrying bags on their heads and moving towards Bangladesh. On being challenged, they fled the spot after dropping the bags. Only one of them could be apprehended. A search revealed 21 packets containing two kg of ganja each. The man who was apprehended has been identified as Saiful Mondal (20) of Bhira village in Bongaon, North 24-Parganas,” the officer said.
In 2015, the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier seized more than 156 kg ganja and apprehended two smugglers.
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