Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members detained two gold smugglers and seized 32 gold bars worth around Tk 7.35 crore while they were attempting to smuggle the gold into India through the Nazirakona border in Mujibnagar upazila of Meherpur on Sunday.

The seized gold bars weighed approximately 3.941 kilogrammes and were valued at Tk 7,35,19,355, according to a press release issued by BGB on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, the members of the Chuadanga Battalion (6 BGB) took a strategic position in the Nagarbil area, about 700 yards inside Bangladesh from border pillar No. 110 under the Nazirakona Border Outpost (BOP).

At around 12:40pm, a BGB team led by Habildar Md Shamimur Rahman spotted two people heading towards the border with a bag and challenged them.

The two men dropped the bag and attempted to flee, but BGB members chased and detained them from the spot.

The detainees were identified as Md Asadul, 50, son of late Abu Bakkar, and Md Juel Hossain, 30, son of Madar. Both are residents of Sonapur Notun Para village in Mujibnagar upazila of Meherpur.

Later, in the presence of local people, BGB members searched the abandoned bag and recovered the 32 gold bars.

BGB said the process of handing over the two detainees to Mujibnagar Police Station and depositing the seized gold with the Meherpur Treasury Office was underway.

Chuadanga Battalion Commander Lt Col Md Nazmul Hasan said the battalion remained vigilant and active in preventing gold and other goods smuggling, drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes along the border.