Camel smuggling goes on thru' Mogholhat border

An organised gang smuggles camels into the country from India through Mogholhat border in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, depriving the government of a huge amount of revenue.
People living in the border area said the gang smuggles camels through this route, bribing a section of the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
They said the gang members brought at least 50 camels from India recently and sent them to Dhaka and other districts in trucks.
People from Kushtia, Tangail come to Moghohat to purchase camels at high rate, they said.
A camel trader from Kurigram said he gave Tk 1.5 lakh to border guards at Mogholhat camp against seven smuggled camels a few weeks ago.
“I paid Tk 6,500 as customs duty on another camel,” the trader said, adding that he never faces trouble in smuggling camels 'in this way'.
Another camel trader on condition of anonymity said he smuggled three camels from India, giving bribe to the border forces.
The border guards swing into action only when they do not get their 'share', he said.
Customs officials said cattle and camels can be imported from India through land corridor LC system, paying tax to the government. Importers have to pay Tk 6,000 to 9,000 against each camel, they said.
Rafiqul Islam, assistant revenue officer at Lalmonirhat customs office, said he recently issued nine LCs against nine camels. The importers paid Tk 6,500 as customs duty against each of the camel, he added.
Refuting the allegation, BGB Mogholhat camp commander Nayek Subedar Abdul Hamid said the BGB men allow bringing camel through the border only after checking legal documents of the importers.