The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in north Bengal have recovered around 5kg gold and cash to the tune of ₹ 34 lakh from different locations during the past two days. Three persons, including a woman, have been arrested in this connection.

Sources in the DRI said they had information that a consignment of gold had been smuggled into Islampur through the India-Bangladesh border.

On Wednesday night, a DRI team nabbed Suraj Sivaji Pawar and recovered three gold bars weighing 3.660 kilos from his possession.

“During interrogation, Suraj confessed that he had received gold from Bhima Subhash Vibhute, who runs a hallmarking shop in Islampur. On Thursday, the DRI and the BSF conducted joint raids at Bhima’s rented accommodation and the shop. Altogether, 1.502 kilo gold and ₹34.66 lakh in cash was found,” said source.

“Tthe duo are residents of Maharashtra. Suraj hails from Ghumiki in Sangli district and Bhima is from Solapur. They had managed to smuggle the gold into India through the Indo-Bangla border and were supposed to deliver it at Tamluk in East Midnapore,” the source added.

Later on Friday, Suraj and Bhima were produced at a local court in Siliguri and were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

In another incident in Cooch Behar, troops of 151st battalion of the BSF intercepted a Bangladeshi woman at the integrated check post in Changrabandha for allegedly illegally carrying a gold bar to India.

A bar weighing 48.08 grams, was recovered from her, along with 2,000 Bangladeshi Taka. She was on way to meet her daughter who lives in Tufanganj of the district, said sources. Later, she was handed over to the preventive unit of Customs in Changrabandha along with the seized items.