The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, working in close coordination with the Border Security Force, has seized approximately 12 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at about ₹17 crore in a sustained crackdown on cross-border smuggling through the India-Bangladesh border, announced PIB.

The coordinated operations were carried out across West Bengal and Bihar. The recoveries included gold found at locations near the international border and gold concealed on a railway passenger.

The seizures expose the continued use of the Bangladesh route for the clandestine movement, transportation and distribution of foreign-origin gold in India.

During operations conducted on 20 and 21 September 2026, BSF personnel from the 161 Battalion recovered 27 unclaimed pieces of smuggled foreign-origin gold near the India-Bangladesh Border Road.

The recovery was made in the area under the Border Outpost at Gongra in West Bengal.

The recovered gold weighed around 3.15 kg.

Following the recovery by the BSF, the DRI took over the legal proceedings and formally seized the gold under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

In a separate operation on 21 September 2026, BSF personnel of the 161 Battalion at the Border Outpost at Mahakhola recovered 10 pieces of 24-carat foreign-origin gold.

The gold, weighing approximately 1.16 kg, had been concealed near a hand pump in Hathkhola village.

The concealment location was situated ahead of the India-Bangladesh border fence, indicating an apparent attempt to move the consignment across the border through an unguarded or vulnerable stretch.

The DRI subsequently took possession of the recovered gold and seized it under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962. Earlier, on 10 and 11 September 2026, BSF personnel had recovered another substantial consignment near the India-Bangladesh border fence in the Border Outpost Pathergata area.

That consignment comprised 48 bars of foreign-origin gold weighing approximately 5.9 kg.

The DRI also took over and seized this gold under the applicable provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. In Patna, DRI officers intercepted a railway passenger and recovered 15 gold bars along with four small cut pieces of foreign-origin gold.

The Patna seizure weighed approximately 1.71 kg.

The passenger had concealed the gold inside cloth knee caps wrapped around both legs, demonstrating the use of body-worn concealment methods to transport smuggled gold by rail. Investigations indicated that the gold recovered from the passenger had been smuggled into India from Bangladesh.

The individual has been arrested in connection with the case.

Taken together, the recoveries from Gongra, Mahakhola, Pathergata and Patna account for the seizure of approximately 12 kg of foreign-origin gold worth around ₹17 crore. The operations underline the DRI and BSF’s continuing joint effort to identify, intercept and disrupt smuggling networks operating along the India-Bangladesh border and those involved in the onward movement of illicit gold within the country.

PIB