On July 9, 2024, at approximately 1:30 PM, the 21st Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) initiated a Long Range Patrolling (LRP) operation in the southern sub-sector of Eastern Ladakh. The patrol, aimed at monitoring potential infiltration and smuggling activities, was conducted in the areas of Chismule, Narbula Top, Zakle, and Zakla, where heightened activities are common during the summer months. Intelligence had indicated possible smuggling near Sirigaple, Ladakh.
The patrol, led by Deputy Commandant Deepak Bhatt and consisting of three senior officers and seventeen other ranks, encountered two suspicious individuals with mules about one kilometer from the International Border at around 1:20 PM. The patrol party apprehended the individuals and escorted them to their campsite. Initially, the suspects claimed they were collecting medicinal plants, but a search revealed a significant quantity of gold and other items.
The patrol team seized the following items:
– 108 international gold bars, weighing a total of 108.060 kilograms (weighed on an electronic scale by ITBP at Koyul)
– Two mobile phones
– One pair of binoculars
– Various Chinese food items, including fragrant cake, Lao Beijing, two cans of milk, and two packets of milk lassi
– Two knives
– Two ponies
– One Wonder torch
– One hammer
– One nose plier
The suspects, identified as Tenzin Targy (40) and Tsering Chamba (approximately 69), both Indian nationals, were taken into custody. Deputy Commandant Deepak Bhatt reported the incident to Commandant Ajay Nirmalkar of the 21st Battalion via satellite phone, who then directed the secure custody of the suspects and the seized items. The ITBP reported the matter to higher headquarters for further investigation in coordination with other agencies.
This patrol was part of a broader operation planned by the Sector Headquarters in Srinagar and approved by the HQ NW Frontier of the ITBP, involving multiple simultaneous patrols in the general area.
The ITBP, authorized by the Ministry of Home Affairs and under the ITBP Act to exercise customs powers at the border, will conduct a joint interrogation of the suspects with the Civil Police, Intelligence Bureau, State Intelligence Bureau, and Customs officials. The seized items and the suspects have been handed over to the Customs Department for further investigation and legal action.