Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered arms, narcotics and various smuggled goods valued at Tk177.21 crore in August during nationwide anti-smuggling drives, with a particular focus on border regions.
According to BGB headquarters, the month’s seizures included 13.44 kilograms of gold, 18.73 kilograms of silver, 4.41 lakh cosmetics, over 41,000 imitation jewellery pieces, 8,739 sarees, nearly 5,000 clothing items including three-pieces and bed sheets, 3,977 readymade garments, 9,603 metres of fabrics, 14.01 lakh fireworks, 4,546 cubic feet of timber, 2,194 kilograms of tea leaves, 7,321 kilograms of betel nuts, 1,376 kilograms of fertiliser, 45,550 kilograms of coal, 53,545 kilograms of cotton and nets, 865 mobile phones, 6,707 mobile displays, 20,104 spectacles, 7,220 vehicle parts, and several tonnes of sugar, onion, garlic and cumin. They also confiscated nearly 2.9 lakh chocolates, 12 trucks and covered vans, 12 pick-up vans and tractors, one trolley, six cars and microbuses, 156 boats, 40 CNGs and easybikes, 56 motorcycles and 35 bicycles.
In terms of weapons, BGB seized three pistols, one revolver, one sub-machine gun, three rifles, 16 magazines, 815 rounds of ammunition and eight additional firearms.
A large volume of narcotics was also intercepted, including 12.37 lakh yaba tablets, 4.6 kilograms of heroin, 7,888 bottles of phensidyl, 9,525 bottles of foreign liquor, 167 litres of locally brewed alcohol, 577 cans of beer, 1,548 kilograms of cannabis, 2.55 lakh packets of cigarettes, 202 kilograms of tobacco leaves, 20 LSD vials, 1.74 lakh injections, 4,145 bottles of Eskuf syrup, 20,720 stimulant tablets such as Anegra and Senegra, and 18.07 lakh other pills.
BGB Public Relations Officer Shariful Islam said legal measures were initiated against 209 suspected smugglers, including 160 Bangladeshis and 11 Indian nationals detained for illegal border crossing.
In addition, 546 Myanmar citizens attempting to enter Bangladesh were pushed back.
