Two Nepalese citizens held with gold and silver by SSB along border with India

Kolkata, Aug 17 (IANS) Two Nepalese citizens were apprehended with undeclared gold and silver, by troops of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) along the India-Nepal border in West Bengal, officials said.

The Border Intelligence Team (BIT) of the 41st Battalion of SSB near Panitanki in Siliguri was carrying out routine checks at the New Mechi Bridge, when they intercepted a Maruti Suzuki WagonR car travelling from Nepal to India on Sunday afternoon.

“During baggage screening, the team detected and recovered gold and silver items in the form of bars and various ornaments. There was a gold bar, chains, pendants, bangles and a bracelet. There were also silver bars and clubs,” a senior official said.

The two occupants of the car could not provide any documents or provide any explanation to why they did not declare the gold and silver at the border customs post.

The two have been identified as Bharat Kumar Agrawal (68) and Rajesh Oli (48).

Agarwal is a resident of Indrachowk in Nepal’s Kathmandu. The gold and silver items were seized from his baggage.

Oli is from Nepal’s Jhapa and was the driver of the car.

Smuggling of gold into India through Nepal is not uncommon.

Smugglers choose this route due to the free transit allowed across the border to citizens of both countries.

Authorities are also checking to see whether the ornaments seized from Agarwal have any antique value.

Smuggling of antiques from Nepal also take place.

The apprehended persons, vehicle and seized items have been handed over to Customs Office at Panitanki under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, for further legal action.

The SSB has made some significant seizures over the last several months. These include huge amounts of cash being taken into Nepal by Indians.

A Bangladeshi national was also apprehended while trying to enter India from Nepal without valid documents.

There have also been seizure of narcotics. Recently, the SSB jawans prevented a trafficking attempt and rescued a 17-year-old girl, a Jalpaiguri resident, from being taken across the border into Nepal. One person associated with the racket was arrested.

–IANS

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