Assam: BSF foils cumin smuggling attempt worth Rs 1.5 lakh along riverine border in Dhubri

The Border Security Force (BSF) has thwarted a major attempt to smuggle cumin (zeera) worth over Rs 1.5 lakh into Bangladesh through the riverine border of Dhubri, marking another success in its intensified anti-smuggling operations along the Brahmaputra River.

According to official sources, personnel of the 150 Battalion BSF recovered 22 sacks of cumin—each weighing approximately 30 kilograms—from two separate locations, Mantrir Char and Chowki Char, during a night operation. The seized consignment, believed to be en route to Bangladesh, was later handed over to the Office of the Assistant Commissioner of GST, Dhubri.

The smugglers had attempted to exploit the darkness and the river’s strong current by concealing the sacks in floating bundles tied to banana tree trunks—a tactic often used in the region’s cross-border smuggling networks. The movement was first detected by BSF’s high-tech surveillance systems, which alerted nearby patrol teams to intercept the consignment before it crossed the international boundary.

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Sources said the operation exposes the growing attempts by smugglers to exploit the steep price difference of cumin between India and Bangladesh. While the wholesale rate of cumin in India is around ₹200–₹250 per kilogram and the retail price ranges from ₹300–₹400, in Bangladesh, the same spice can fetch between ₹950 and ₹1,150 per kilogram due to import constraints and high domestic demand.

“The miscreants were attempting to take advantage of the soaring demand for cumin in Bangladesh,” a BSF source said, adding that the force remains on heightened alert along the riverine border to counter such economic offences.

Officials confirmed that the seized goods are now in custody, and a detailed investigation is underway to identify those involved in the cross-border smuggling network.

The BSF has repeatedly emphasised its commitment to safeguarding India’s borders against smuggling activities that disrupt local markets and threaten economic stability in the border regions.