Dhaka: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has seized various smuggled goods worth over Taka 2,184 crore after raiding the country's border areas and other places from January 1 to December 31, 2024, said a press release of the force.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the seized contraband items include 131.424 kg of gold, 137.289 kg of silver, 214,805 pieces of saris, 210,063 three-piece/lehengas/ready-made garments, 3,322,361 cosmetics, 7,015,824 kg of sugar, 58,274 kg of tea leaves, 235,446 kg of onions, 338,497 kg of garlic, 65,298 kg of cumin, 89,365 kg of fish, 431,407 kg of betel nut, 48,598 cubic feet of wood, 6,053 cubic feet of stone, 737,180 kg of coal, 61,144 imitation jewelry, 17 stone statues, 14.81 kg of snake venom, and 8.398 kg of whale vomit.
The seized items also include 33,132 kg of current net, 1,267,148 packets of bidis and cigarettes, 25,624 kg of fertilizer, 12,262 liters of diesel/petrol/octane, 9,907 mobiles, 100,005 mobile displays, 360,288 pieces of glasses, 1,032,094 pieces of chocolate, 278,253 packets of biscuits, 2,180 packets of pesticides, 38.400 kg of turtle bones, 25,164,507 pieces of fireworks, 207 trucks/covered vans, 8 buses, 47 private cars/microbuses, 91 pickups, 383 CNG/easy bikes, 873 motorcycles, and 235 bicycles.
The weapons recovered during the same period include 38 pistols, 5 SMGs, 18 grenades, 8 rifles, 6 revolvers, 52 guns of all types, 8,859 rounds of ammunition, 45 magazines, 4 mortar shells, 41 cocktails, 10.44 kg of gun powder, and 233 blank cartridges.
Additionally, a large amount of narcotics was seized by the BGB last year. These included 9,216,878 pieces of Yaba tablets, 84.791 kg of crystal meth ice, 31 kg of opium, 214,028 bottles of Phensedyl, 239,372 bottles of foreign liquor, 7,779 liters of Bengali liquor, 184,280 liquor-making tablets, 13,266 cans of beer, 15,782 kg of marijuana, 264.84 kg of heroin, 6,024.353 kg of cocaine, 147 bottles of LSD, 8,907,343 Anegra/Senegra tablets, 36,173 Escafe syrups, 11,110,548 various types of medicines, 12,510 bottles of MKDil/Kofidil, 1,273,412 narcotic and stimulant injections, and 5,770,757 other tablets.
Moreover, 120 acres of poppy fields were destroyed in 2024. The BGB also arrested 2,088 people from the frontiers on charges of their involvement in crimes including drug trafficking. Additionally, 2,678 Bangladeshi citizens, 155 Indian citizens, and 14,336 Myanmar citizens were held for illegally crossing the border, with legal action taken against them.