Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have seized goods worth approximately Tk3 crore and detained three people, including a customs revenue officer, over allegations of attempting to transport undeclared items under the guise of sending relief goods to the Prime Minister's relief warehouse.
The detention was made following a raid in the Durgapur intersection area of Benapole Bazar in Sharsha upazila of Jessore on Monday.
The detainees are Benapole Customs House Assistant Revenue Officer Indrajit Mukherjee, covered van driver Mohsin Ali and helper Zahid Hasan.
According to officials, BGB personnel intercepted a covered van after receiving a tip-off and recovered a large quantity of saris, three-piece sets, blankets, bedsheets, veils and cosmetics.
Sources said a letter issued by the auction branch of Benapole Customs House on May 21, 2026, authorized the transport of 3,022 saris, 58 three-piece sets, 208 bedsheets, 263 blankets and eight veils to the Prime Minister's relief warehouse in Dhaka. Indrajit Mukherjee was responsible for supervising the shipment.
BGB officials alleged that additional goods were being transported beyond the approved inventory.
Acting on intelligence information, BGB members seized the covered van bearing registration number Dhaka Metro-T-24-5621 from the entrance of Durgapur Road in Benapole Bazar at around 2am. After examining the shipment documents, officials found discrepancies between the approved inventory and the goods being transported.
Investigators also monitored the movement of another truck inside the customs premises following the seizure.
According to a seizure list prepared by BGB, the recovered items included 608 Indian saris, 63 three-piece sets, 386 blankets, 208 bedsheets, eight veils and 33,222 cosmetic products. The goods were seized as valid documentation could not be produced.
BGB estimated the value of the seized items at Tk2.67 crore, while officials later said the total value of the recovered goods was around Tk3 crore.
During preliminary questioning, the driver and helper reportedly told investigators that the goods were being transported illegally from Benapole to Dhaka.
Local sources said goods confiscated from passport holders at different times are stored at customs warehouses and later disposed of or distributed in accordance with government regulations.
Benapole Customs House Assistant Commissioner Md Rahat Hossain said the matter was under review.
"The incident has come to our attention and we are verifying the facts. A decision is being taken to temporarily suspend those accused. Whether any irregularity occurred will be determined through an investigation," he said.
Commander of the Jessore-49 BGB Battalion Lt Col Golam Mohammad Saiful Alam Khan said all seized goods had been inventoried and undocumented items worth around Tk3 crore had been recovered.
"The arrested individuals have been handed over to Benapole Port Police Station for legal action," he added.
Benapole Customs House has previously faced allegations of irregularities. The disappearance of 19.318 kilograms of gold from customs custody in November 2019 sparked widespread controversy, and legal proceedings related to that incident are still ongoing.