Image: Souvik Majumdar, OC Jaigaon & his team along with seized SP Capsules with peddlers.
Perpetrators continue to smuggle contrabands and illicit substances across the Indo-Bhutan border. It is an accepted fact that cross border smuggling of contrabands & illicit substances is very common in the border towns, especially at international borders. Seasoned criminal/smugglers try and implement creative ways to smuggle stuffs to escape and eyewash the authorities. More vigilant the authorities get, more creative the perpetrators become.
In the recent, several incidents of smuggling surfaced wherein the contrabands were concealed within vegetables, fruits, furniture, computer and other home appliances and smugglers disguised as exporters were easily able to eyewash the authorities and only got busted while unloading the goods at Phuentsholing MDP or at RBP checkposts. This resulted in authorities (from India & Bhutan) becoming more vigilant and launching stricter vigilance & laws to control the same at the origin, Jaigaon.
Since the lockdown began in March 2020, Jaigaon Police and other agencies including SSB have been able to successfully bust several consignments intended to be smuggled to Bhutan containing illicit items and also nab several seasoned smugglers locally. The efforts are commendable and results say there have been great controls over sale/purchase/export and consumption of contrabands in the region with the proactive seizures and actions of Jaigaon Police.
However, it is quite disturbing to learn that young businessmen between the age group of 20 and 35 years are mostly involved in the rackets and opting to such illegal activities for the easiest and quickest money making formula.
Smuggling of contrabands to Bhutan is directly related to the ‘surplus’ of Bhutanese currencies in Jaigaon. For instance, if by luck anyone manages to push contrabands successfully into Bhutan then the smugglers based out of Jaigaon receives Money in the form of BC (Bhutanese currency). As such cash transactions remain unaccountable and lead to tax exemption and further circulation of black money in the indo-bhutan region. This is one of the many reasons of excess reserve of Bhutanese currencies in Jaigaon. Commoners & legitimate business owners in Jaigaon further have to pay additional 9-10% to exchange their Bhutanese currencies to convert into Indian currencies that led to the devaluation of Ngultrum by 9-10%.
To narrow it down, it may be summarized that the period of Covid 19 lockdown & closure of Bhutan gate have been the target period of these perpetrators to deceive the authorities of both India and Bhutan to smuggle contrabands disguised as exporters. But what is more serious and concerning is when they get busted, it less affects the smugglers and more the legitimate businessmen and exporters of Jaigaon as the entire business community become the victim of suspicion and negative limelight not just in Jaigaon but in Bhutan as well.
There have been several reports wherein Bhutanese importers become skeptical about the legitimate exporters on hearing such incidents and doubt and question the authenticity and legitimacy of the Indian exporters. Some have even reported losing business from Bhutan due to such suspicions being raised and Bhutanese importers choosing to opt to import from Siliguri and other market places.
Ultimately the legitimate business owners become the victim to strict vigilance & laws led by authorities to export and suffer in delayed business operations and unwanted hassles. At the same time ill minded perpetrators keep evolving new ways of their operations.
On 24th of February, In a similar incident, a brazen effort of a brick supplier to export contrabands concealing them under the bricks loaded in a Bhutan truck (BP-2A-9343) from the compound of Baba Ganinath Iron Store at Daldabari meant to be exported to Thimphu, Bhutan was busted by prompt operation of proactive Jaigaon police. Two cartons were recovered by Jaigaon Police containing 35000 pieces of contrabands SPM PRX+ WOCKHARDT (SP Capsules) concealed within the loaded bricks.
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Dinanath Jaiswal 57 & Om Prakash Jaiswal 31 have been arrested and produced before court; further FIR has been lodged against 6 others involved in the racket. Complete seizure value is estimated over 30 lakhs.
The question remains ;
- Why should the entire business community suffer the heat of suspicion and humiliation due to specific individuals disguising themselves as exporters trying to smuggle?
- Why does the legitimate and honest business owners have to keep justifying their honesty and integrity?
- Why does the commoners have to suffer the burden of paying over 10% exchange rate(batta) due to the illegal inflow of BC (Bhutanese Currency) against these smuggling?
- Who should be blamed, the authority or the greedy perpetrators who are challenging authorities, business and commoners?
“It is one of the largest seizures of contrabands in the region” –Souvik Majumdar, OC Jaigaon Police Station.
“All efforts are being taken to establish the entire nexus and take strong action against drug peddlers.” said Kuntal Banerjee, Additional SP, Jaigaon.
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