Rs 29 lakhs new notes seized in Garo hills

From Our Correspondent  

TURA, DEC 21: In first of its kind in Garo hills since the

demonetization of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes, the G-team of the BSF in Tura on Wednesday arrested two persons while they were allegedly transiting over Rs 29 lakhs in new currency notes from Assam to the border village of Gasuapara in South Garo hills.

The two arrested are residents of Mankachar in South Salmara district in Assam and were apparently taking the money to a coal exporter. The total amount seized from the two stood at Rs 29,73, 205. The seized money had a huge number of Rs 2000 denomination notes along with few Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes as well. The mobile phones of the two along with the motorcycle have also been seized.

Gasuapara is the export hub of coal for the Garo hills region with huge amounts of coal going to neighbouring Bangladesh through international trade on an annual basis.

Explaining the raid a BSF source stated that they acted on information of the movement of money from Assam to Gasuapara and as such a special operation by the G-team begun.

The team identified the duo, who were on a motorcycle, and asked them to stop on the Hill Road (Tura- Dadenggre) near the village of Nokchi from where they were caught with the money.

“When they were questioned, the duo revealed that the money was being sent by a cloth merchant from Mankachar in Assam to a coal exporting company in Gasuapara. The duo is currently being questioned on the source of the money and the BSF is awaiting more information,” said the source.

The two have been identified as Nasib Miya and Bilal Hossain and are residents of Pubergram under Mankachar PS limits in Assam.

With limits to the amount of money that can be withdrawn, the current seizure points of links between big businessmen and unscrupulous bankers. The role of both is expected to be probed.