FPJ Exclusive: Bhiwandi Resident Held In Bangladesh With Gold Worth ₹1.4 Crore, Foreign Currency Seized

Thane, May 7: A resident of Bhiwandi in Thane has been arrested by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Bangladesh’s Jessore district for allegedly smuggling gold and carrying foreign currencies valued at around Rs 1.4 crore in the Indian market.

Accused arrested during highway search operation

The arrested accused has been identified as Wajid Ali Amin Ansari, a resident of Zeeshan Manzil in Vetalpada, under the jurisdiction of Shanti Nagar Police Station in Bhiwandi.

Sources said the arrest took place on April 22 after BGB personnel intercepted him during a search operation on the Jessore–Narail highway in the Taraganj area.

According to Bangladeshi authorities, the BGB team acted on specific intelligence inputs and stopped a passenger bus at around 5 am.

During the search, officials allegedly recovered nearly 900 grams of gold in paste form along with foreign currencies belonging to the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, India and Bangladesh.

Officials estimated the combined value of the seized gold and foreign currencies at nearly Rs 1.40 crore in the Indian market.

Investigators suspect international smuggling links

Sources familiar with the investigation claimed that Ansari was allegedly linked to an international gold smuggling syndicate operating between India, Bangladesh and Middle Eastern countries.

Preliminary findings suggest that he had travelled extensively to India, Bangladesh, Egypt and several Middle Eastern nations since 2024.

Investigators believe Ansari had travelled from Mumbai to Dubai on April 20 before reaching Dhaka, Bangladesh.

He was allegedly heading towards Satkhira by road and was planning to enter India through the Bhomra Land Port when he was intercepted and arrested by the BGB.

No official communication received yet

Meanwhile, local police in Bhiwandi said they had not yet received any official communication regarding the arrest from Bangladeshi authorities.

Residents of Zeeshan Manzil in Vetalpada expressed shock over the development.

A local grocery shop owner told The Free Press Journal that Ansari had visited his shop two days before the arrest and cleared an online payment of Rs 200.

“He informed us that he was travelling abroad and asked us to continue providing household items to his family, assuring that payments would be made online,” the shopkeeper said.

Residents express shock over arrest

Residents said that he had been living in the building for nearly 15 years and was considered a well-educated youth.

They stated that he earlier worked for an online company, but over the past few years he had frequently been travelling abroad.

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When an FPJ reporter visited Ansari’s residence on the second floor of Zeeshan Manzil, no one responded despite repeated ringing of the doorbell.

The arrest has once again highlighted the growing concern over transnational gold smuggling networks operating through South Asian routes, particularly involving the movement of gold through Bangladesh into India.

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