Kolkata, Aug 6 : The Border Security Force (BSF) arrested a smuggler and seized gold worth Rs 62.68 lakh along the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) in the North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal.

This is the fourth gold seizure by the BSF along the IBB in the last few days.

"Troops of the Ghojadanga Border Outpost, belonging to the 102 Bn BSF of South Bengal Frontier, were acting on the basis of specific intelligence inputs of an attempt to smuggle gold from Bangladesh to India through the BSF duty point. Around 6.30 am, they spotted a man approaching on a bicycle with two buckets full of fish feed. He was moving towards Kalupota. The jawans stopped him for questioning and searched the buckets. A sealed packet was found inside one of them," a senior BSF official said.

According to him, the BSF jawans displayed marvellous alertness by reacting to the situation in record time. The intelligence inputs were received by the company commander at 6 am, and the troops were in position by 6.30 am.

"After finding the packet, the jawans informed the company commander, who rushed to the spot. The packet was opened, and six pieces of gold of various sizes were found inside. The man was immediately taken into custody and taken to the Ghojadanga BOP for questioning. The man confessed that he had received the packet and was to deliver it to someone else. He was to receive Rs 2,000 for the job," the official said.

The gold pieces weighed 607.66 grams, and their estimated price is Rs 62,68,620, the BSF has ascertained. The smuggler, along with the seized gold, has been handed over to the concerned department for further legal processing.

It has come to light that a network of local contacts was to be used to smuggle the gold to its ultimate destination. The prompt action by the troops not only foiled the smuggling attempt but also traced many links of the entire network. The matter is being investigated further, the official said.

He praised the efforts of the BSF's intelligence network and the jawans and appealed to the border population to share information about gold smuggling through the 'Seema Sathi' helpline number 14419. They can also send voice or text messages to the WhatsApp number 9903472227. Those providing credible information will be suitably rewarded, he said, and their identities will be kept a secret.

/IANS