Suspected gold smuggler killed in clash with police in Jashore

A suspected gold smuggler was killed in a clash with police in Sharsha area of Jashore early today, police claimed.

Two others were held with 30 gold bars weighing 9kg, our Benapole correspondent reports quoting Jewel Imran, assistant superintendent of police (Nabharan circle) of Jashore.

The deceased was identified as Oliar alias Oli Makra (34), a resident of Sharsha upazila.

The arrestees are -- Robin Sarkar (32) and Abul Kashem (34) -- both hailing from Cumilla.

ASP Jewel said a team of detectives and Sharsha police jointly setup a checkpoint in front of Oriental Oil Company Limited on Jashore-Satkhira highway in Jamtala area around 11:30pm after receiving a tip-off that gold may be smuggled to India.

Around 1:00am, police stopped a white private car.

During the search, police found a total of 30 gold bars strapped to Robin's body and the engine of the private car. The gold bars weighed 9.75kg worth Tk 7.5 crore.

Robin and Kashem were arrested from the scene, he said.

"Later, while interrogating the arrestees about the gold bars, all of a sudden, a group of men on around 30 motorcycles came from both sides of the highway to snatch the detainees and the gold bars. They exploded four-five crude bombs at the police. When the police fired rubber bullets in self-defence, they ran away," the ASP claimed.

Some 200m from the scene, a man was found lying under a motorcycle with serious injuries. He was taken to Sharsha Upazila Health Complex where the doctor on duty declared him dead, he added.

His body has been kept at Jashore General Hospital morgue for autopsy, the police official said claiming that the deceased had no bullet injuries.

Police seized a private car and three motorcycles from the spot. Two policemen sustained minor injuries in the crude bomb attack, Jewel said.

The filing of a case was underway in this connection, the ASP added.