Woman among 5 held for gold smuggling

SHILLONG: A joint team of the Meghalaya Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) arrested five persons, including a woman, at Shella in East Khasi Hills and seized a gold bar worth over Rs 3 lakh on Sunday.
In a media statement, BSF said the joint team raided a house near the international border in the district after it received information about gold being smuggled into Bangladesh.
The arrested persons have been identified as Wali Ul Miraz (31), Imran Khan (27), Shaharuddin (28), Sirajuh Haque (30) and Sidora Shongwan.
The four men are from Assam’s Barpeta district.
Besides the gold bar worth Rs 3.15 lakh, the joint search team also seized Indian currency worth Rs 1 lakh.
“There had been no seizure of gold along Indo-Bangladesh border since long though smuggling of gold has always been in news but through other routes. This is a maiden seizure of gold by BSF troops in Meghalaya. The sudden increase in smuggling activities has put BSF troops on the toes,” said P.K Dubey, inspector general of BSF Meghalaya in the statement.
Rain distraction
The BSF statement further said flood-like situation in many places along the Indo-Bangladesh border fence and this has affected the border sentinels’ work in Purnanagar, Shella, Thariaghat, Betgora, Omkhawa and Mukamchera in East Khasi Hills, Barmanbari and Kachuadogri in South West Khasi Hills, Sonatal in West Jaintia Hills and Angratoli in South Garo Hills. Some government property has also been damaged.