Gold biscuits seized at border

Kolkata,  Jan 26, 2014: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday seized 20 gold biscuits weighing nearly 2.3 kg at Petrapole in North 24-Parganas. One person was arrested with the smuggled gold and handed over to customs officials. The gold is valued at Rs 68.79 lakh, officials said. This is the second such seizure in the last few days. On January 16, troops of the Haridaspur Border Out Post (BOP) near Petrapole, seized 24 gold biscuits weighing 2.8 kg. This gold was found inside the tyres of a bicycle.

"On Saturday, troops at the Petrapole check post, 40 Bn BSF, received a tip-off that a consignment of gold would be delivered to Kolkata through this route. Around 8.10am, Armymen spotted a man going to the market. When he was searched, 20 gold biscuits were seized from his possession. The man was identified as Ali Khdar Shaji (40), a resident of Petrapole in Bongaon," a BSF official said.

According to him, nearly twelve kg of gold has been seized by the BSF's South Bengal Frontier in the last six months. There has been an increase in smuggling of gold into India in recent times. So much so, that the government has now asked jewelers to furnish details of purchases of gold bars or ornaments worth more than Rs 500,000. With gold running up the second highest import bill after crude oil, India has been making attempts to curb the entry of the yellow metal into India through legal channels. One of the steps adopted was increase of import duty by 10%. The import of gold was also tied to jewellery exports.

Courtesy: The Times of India