Two individuals were reportedly involved in the smuggling of supari (betel nut) from Bangladesh to India and were captured by the Assam police’s Special Task Force (STF), according to sources. An STF team from Guwahati traveled to Goalpara to start a search operation after receiving information regarding an unlawful cargo of foreign origin that was going to be given to two people in the district.
Mohibul Alam, 35, a resident of Matia, and Saber Ali, 39, a resident of Bohoti Mayapara, were both arrested during the search operation from their respective homes on the intervening night of September 14 and 15, according to DIG. stated Partha.
During the probe, it was revealed that the apprehended persons were involved in money laundering with Bangladeshi businessmen via cash transactions and payments through suspected bogus Indian Bank accounts, the DIG Partha added.
“The modus operandi was to get involved with many middlemen across the India-Bangladesh international border. It has been found that traders involved in illegal smuggling of Supari from Bangladesh to India mostly carried out transactions through this illegal hawala method,” DIG Partha added.
Following this, a case has been registered under sections 13, 23, 120 (B), 418, 420, 468 and 121 (A) of the Indian Penal Code at the STF police station.
“Further investigation is going on,” the official said.
