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Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 10 gold bars worth an estimated Tk22.78 million and arrested a suspected smuggler during a special anti-smuggling operation along the Panchbibi border in Joypurhat on Friday.
The gold bars were recovered from the muddy ground of a paddy field near the Hatkhola Border Outpost (BOP) in Panchbibi upazila.
The arrested suspect, Md Mamunur Rashid, 35, is the son of Md Jalal Uddin of Ratanpur village in the upazila.
According to a BGB press release, a joint patrol team from the Joypurhat Battalion (20 BGB) headquarters and Hatkhola BOP conducted the operation as part of routine intelligence-based efforts to curb cross-border smuggling.
At around 9:20am, BGB personnel challenged a man who had entered the paddy field on the pretext of working there. As his appearance matched intelligence information received earlier, the patrol asked him to stop. He allegedly attempted to flee but was chased down and arrested.
During initial questioning, the suspect reportedly admitted to concealing the gold bars. Acting on his information, BGB members recovered 10 gold bars wrapped in polythene and hidden beneath the mud in the paddy field.
BGB said the seized 22-carat gold bars weighed 1.185 kilograms (equivalent to 101 bhori, 9 ana and 2 rati) and have an estimated market value of Tk22.78 million.
Officials also seized an Android mobile phone and two SIM cards allegedly used in the smuggling operation.
Confirming the incident, Mohammad Latiful Bari said the BGB maintains a zero-tolerance policy against smuggling and narcotics and will continue conducting strict operations to safeguard the country’s borders.