12-year-old caught smuggling ₹1.64cr gold at Bengal border
A 12-year-old boy was caught by the Border Security Force (BSF) while allegedly smuggling gold biscuits worth ₹1.64 crore across the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas.
His mother reportedly sent him to deliver the gold.
The boy is now in a juvenile home after being presented to the Juvenile Justice Board, and his mother has been arrested.
Kids increasingly used for smuggling
This case isn't a one-off—smugglers are turning to minors more often along the south Bengal border, especially where fencing is weak or missing.
Since 2021, around 80 children have been caught for similar offenses, with 11 cases just this year.
The Indo-Bangladesh border remains a major route for illegal gold and drug trade, possibly because traffickers believe kids are less likely to face harsh punishment if caught.