Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained two alleged smugglers in Jessore and recovered 31 gold bars along with a private car, mobile phones and cash worth about Tk 7.68 crore in a raid early Saturday.
The detainees were identified as Khondkar Mahabubul Haque, 45, of Khasial village under Naragati Police Station in Narail, and Md Anis, 36, of Bara Bhekutia in Jessore Sadar upazila.
The operation was conducted around 2am in front of Jessore Battalion (49 BGB) headquarters on the Jessore–Narail highway.
Acting on a tip-off, a BGB patrol team intercepted a private car and recovered 3.641kg of gold during the search.
The seized gold was valued at Tk 71,345,395.
Besides the gold, BGB seized a car, three mobile phones worth Tk36,000 and cash of Tk4,815.
BGB said the gold was tested by the Bangladesh Jewelers Association (BAJUS), which confirmed its authenticity.
During primary interrogation, the detainees said they collected the gold from Dholaipar in Dhaka and planned to smuggle it into India through Benapole land port in Jessore.
Lt Col Golam Mohammad Saiful Alam Khan, commanding officer of Jessore Battalion, said legal procedures were underway and the seized items would be deposited with the state treasury through Jessore Kotwali Police Station.
