Photo: Collected
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized smuggled goods worth Tk 273 crore 37 lakh 65 thousand in drives along the border and in different parts of the country last October. The haul includes more than 40 lakh yaba pills as well as gold, clothing, cosmetics, edible oil and various other goods. Arms, ammunition and a large quantity of drugs were also recovered.
The information was given in a press release signed by BGB public relations officer Md Shariful Islam on Saturday.
According to the release, the smuggled goods seized last month include 1 kg 435 grams of gold, 13,778 saris, 5,976 three-pieces, shirt pieces, shawls and blankets, 2,028 readymade garments, 4,351 metres of fabric, 1,325 pieces of imitation jewellery, 2,76,098 cosmetic items and 22,43,257 fireworks. The list also includes 5,725 cubic feet of timber, 1,69,458 kg of coal, 1,121 cubic feet of stone, 3,462 kg of tea leaves and 1,685 kg of betel nuts.
Also seized were 381 mobile phones, 15,048 mobile displays and 12,578 mobile parts, 98,800 Gillette blades, 26,673 pairs of spectacles, 2,18,233 packets of chocolate, 230 packets of various seeds and 340 kg of Bangladeshi jute. There were also 33,691 kg of cumin, 8,544 kg of garlic, 6,547 kg of sugar, 12,142 kg of fertiliser, 10,10,800 kg of current nets and 21,68,500 litres of edible oil.
Other seized items include 40,000 medical supplies, 1,347 packets of pesticide, 2,85,034 medicines of various kinds and 10 touchstones/sandstones. Vehicles used in smuggling were also seized: 8 trucks or covered vans, 13 pickups, 8 private cars or microbuses, 49 CNG auto-rickshaws, easy-bikes, auto-rickshaws and pushcarts, 73 motorcycles, 20 bicycles and vans, and 36 boats.
The release also said an SMG, local and foreign pistols and other weapons, seven magazines, 120 rounds of ammunition and 19 cocktails (crude bombs) were recovered during the drives.
Among drugs, BGB seized 40,45,412 yaba pills, 941 grams of heroin, 1,201 bottles of Phensedyl, 8 kg 97 grams of crystal meth or ice, 11,307 bottles of foreign liquor, 279.5 litres of local liquor, 1,847 cans of beer, 1,564 kg of cannabis, 5,109 bottles of Eskuf syrup, 5,896 bottles of various other syrups, 1,60,517 packets of bidis and cigarettes and 2,83,344 intoxicating tablets of different kinds last month.
BGB detained 219 people on charges of involvement in drug trafficking and other smuggling along the border. It also detained 114 Bangladeshis, 7 Indians and 350 Myanmar nationals for crossing the border illegally, and legal action has been taken against them.
By the numbers
According to a Desh Rupantor report of 10 October, BGB seized smuggled goods worth Tk 254 crore 20 lakh 58 thousand in September.
In the month before that, August, the seized goods were worth Tk 347 crore 81 lakh 53 thousand, Khobor Sangjog reported on 9 September.
Sources
Original report: Ajker Patrika
Background sources: Desh Rupantor, 10 October 2026; Khobor Sangjog, 9 September 2026
