Kharibari, 30th January: A major silver smuggling attempt was foiled at the Indo-Nepal border in Panitanki under the Kharibari area after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in coordination with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), conducted a joint operation on Thursday night based on specific intelligence inputs.
During joint patrolling at the border, officials intercepted a woman and recovered four packets filled with silver granules from her possession. The accused has been identified as Devi Kala Khadka, a resident of Jhapa district in Nepal. Around 10 kg of silver was seized, with an estimated market value of approximately ₹36 lakh.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the silver had been brought from Bagdogra and was planned to be smuggled into Nepal through the Panitanki border route. The accused reportedly confessed to her role in the smuggling network during questioning.
Following the seizure, the DRI formally arrested the woman and initiated legal proceedings. She will be produced before the Siliguri Sub-Divisional Court on Friday.
Sources further stated that the SSB has successfully foiled consecutive smuggling attempts along the border over the past two days. These included cash smuggling operations involving ₹6 lakh on one day and ₹22 lakh on another, with a total of five persons detained in connection with those incidents.