Fishing trawler ‘smuggling sarees’ to Bangladesh seized in India
Indian customs officials intercepted a fishing trawler "smuggling sarees and other garments worth about Rs 3.3 crore" to Bangladesh, from South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
This is one of the biggest seizes in recent times involving smuggling of export materials to Bangladesh, the Indian finance ministry said in a statement late last night.
Six persons have been arrested in this connection, it added.
The trawler was carrying the sarees and garment items in about 400 gunny bags, according to the statement.
The trawler was intercepted by officers of the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive) West Bengal, who acted on specific intelligence, on the intervening night of September 6 and 7, said the statement.
The trawler was going from Diamond Harbour towards Sagar Island and, as per intelligence, was to cross over to Bangladesh using an unauthorised riverine route and channel.
The officers of customs with the support of the Indian Coast Guard had kept a vigil from various strategic points.
The fishing trawler was identified from a distance on the route but it changed the route and attempted to escape after noticing the official vessels, said the statement.
However, they were eventually intercepted near Geonkhali. The persons on board abandoned the trawler and jumped into the waters and attempted to flee but six of them were subsequently arrested with help from the Coast Guard and local police, it added.
Upon searching the trawler, various documents, along with identity cards of certain Bangladeshi and Indian nationals, were found. Mobile phones with Bangladeshi SIM cards and personal effects, all made in Bangladesh, were recovered, the statement said.
The trawler also had flags of Bangladesh and it appears that it would have been displayed had they succeeded in illegally crossing the international border, the ministry said.
The interrogation of the arrested persons confirmed that the vessel was heading to cross over to Bangladesh with the intention of smuggling the Indian goods to Bangladesh.
Further investigation in the matter is underway.
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