Indian man arrested in Bangladesh over 900g gold smuggling plot
A man from Bhiwandi in Thane has been arrested in Bangladesh for alleged involvement in an international gold smuggling ring. Wajid Ali Amin Ansari, a resident of Zeeshan Manzil in Vetalpada, was detained by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) during a highway search on 22 April 2023. Locals in his neighbourhood have reacted with surprise to the news. Ansari’s arrest took place on the Jessore-Narail highway near Taraganj. Authorities recovered nearly 900 grams of gold in paste form, along with foreign currencies worth around Rs 1.40 crore. The seized items were reportedly destined for illegal trade between India, Bangladesh, and Middle Eastern countries.
Ansari had left Mumbai for Dubai on 20 April 2023 before travelling to Dhaka. His plan was to re-enter India through the Bhomra Land Port when BGB officers intercepted him. Investigations suggest he had made multiple trips to Bangladesh, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern nations since early 2024. As of now, local police in Bhiwandi have not received any formal notification about the arrest from Bangladeshi officials. The case has brought attention to the expanding issue of cross-border gold smuggling networks in South Asia.
The arrest has exposed the scale of transnational smuggling operations moving through the region. Ansari now faces legal proceedings in Bangladesh, while the recovered gold and currencies remain in BGB custody. The incident has raised concerns among authorities about the movement of illicit goods across borders.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
