Sheikh Kazim Uddin, Benapole: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has seized a cargo truck carrying Indian goods worth Tk 2.5 crore in Benapole, Jessore. Truck driver Abdul Malek (46) and helper Antar Karmakar (29) have been arrested.
On Monday (September 22), at 11:30 pm, members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) of Jessore 49th Battalion stopped a truck of Magura Cargo Service in front of the municipal truck terminal in the Bhaber Ber area of Benapole and conducted the operation.
The arrested truck driver Abdul Malek is the son of Nader Molla of Haji Road-Collegepara in Magura district headquarters, and the helper Antar Karmakar is the son of Shushant Karmakar of Shibrampur village in the same area.
Initial interrogation by the BGB has revealed the involvement of an influential local syndicate in Benapole with the smuggling ring.
BGB said that based on a secret information, BGB members led by Jessore Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Saifullah Siddiqui stopped a truck (Dhaka Metro-T-22-7566) of Magura Cargo Service in front of Bhaber Ber Truck Terminal in Benapole and seized it on suspicion of carrying illegal goods. Later, when they were searched at Benapole BOP, 1,476 Indian sarees, 215 three-piece suits, 2 motorcycle tires, 10,693 different types of medicines, 74,455 cosmetics and the truck were seized.
The estimated market value of these products is Tk 25,561,930. At this time, the truck driver and helper have been arrested. Initial interrogation of the arrested persons revealed information about the involvement of an influential local syndicate in Benapole with the smuggling ring.
The arrested driver Abdul Malek and helper Antar Karmakar told the interrogation that they were supposed to deliver these goods to Mirpur in Dhaka by making a contract for 20,000 taka with Billal, son of Bablu of Namazgram under Benapole Port Police Station.
The security forces believe that although Billal is only in charge of delivery, there is a large local syndicate behind it. Their vast network is spread from the border areas to the wholesale market in the capital.
Locals said that Benapole land port in Jessore is the largest land port in the country. Along with legal imports, illegal smuggling has been going on for a long time.
In addition, small consignments are brought from India through various border villages in Benapole. Later, they are reached to big cities including Dhaka through trucks or cargo services. Sometimes illegal goods are smuggled under the guise of legal imports, and sometimes these goods reach their destinations through buses and trucks in various ways including courier services. And influential businessmen and brokers from both countries (India and Bangladesh) are involved in this work. Moreover, there are also reports of some local political patronage, which helps to make smugglers more reckless. Recently, a special operation by the BGB has seized illegal goods worth crores of taka.
According to legitimate business sources at the Benapole land port, if smuggling at the border is not stopped, the government will lose several hundred crore taka in revenue annually and the domestic industry will face destruction. The businessmen said that it will be difficult to stop this trend if the main leaders of the local syndicate are not brought under the law.
Jessore 49 BGB Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Saifullah Siddiqui said that a case was filed against the arrested persons along with the smuggled goods on Tuesday morning and they were sent to the Benapole Port Police Station. He added, “Despite the increase in attempts to bring goods illegally, the BGB is on the highest alert. Secret intelligence surveillance has been strengthened to catch the smugglers.”
Sheikh Kazim Uddin
Benapole, Jessore
