Kolkata, July 15 (IANS) Two residents of Sikkim were apprehended by a Border Intelligence Team (BIT) of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) along the India-Nepal border on Wednesday while trying to cross into the neighbouring country with Rs 9.74 lakh in Indian currency. The seized cash was unaccounted for and had not been declared at the customs checkpost.

A senior SSB official said that around 4.25 pm, while the BIT was performing routine checking duty at New Mechi Bridge, Panitanki (in north Bengal), a Mahindra XUV300 (bearing registration no SK01PB9465), coming from India and proceeding towards Nepal, was stopped for checking.

A thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of Indian currency notes of the Rs 500 denomination. While some of the notes were found hidden under the driver’s seat, others were in concealed cavities of the vehicle.

On being questioned, Jiwan Biswakarma, who was driving the vehicle, stated that the SUV belonged to their customer. He claimed ownership of Rs 5,24,000, stating that he was carrying the amount to Nepal to provide financial assistance for his mother-in-law’s treatment.

The other occupant, Rahul Nepal, claimed ownership of Rs 4,50,000 and said he was carrying the amount for his Nepal tour, the official said.

Biswakarma (49) is a resident of Upper Sichey MW P S Road, PNG School, Gangtok Municipal Corporation, in Upper Sicheygaon, East Sikkim, and Rahul Nepal (25) is from Upper Tintek PW, Rakdong Tintek GPU, Tintek, in East Sikkim.

During preliminary interrogation, the two said that they were engaged in the business of buying and selling four-wheelers and were working at True Value, Gangtok. They further stated that the vehicle belonged to their customer, Sonam Doma Bhutia.

The official added that, when asked to produce documentary evidence in support of the lawful possession, carriage, and export of the recovered Indian currency, as required under the Customs Act, 1962, and the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2015, both persons failed to produce any satisfactory documents. Their explanation regarding the possession and transportation of the currency was deemed unsatisfactory.

The sum of Rs 9.74 lakh was then seized and subsequently verified using a counterfeit currency detection machine at the SSB’s company headquarters in Panitanki. All the currency notes were genuine. The money and vehicle, along with the two apprehended persons, were then handed over to the Customs Office in Panitanki for further investigation and necessary action under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

According to Customs officials, Indian nationals can carry up to Rs 25,000 in cash into Nepal. Rs 500 currency notes were banned till recently, but are now allowed. A Customs official said they are not discussing these two persons as the investigation is underway, but there is a tendency among Indians to conceal large amounts of cash while travelling to Nepal. Such people normally go there for gambling at the casinos in Kathmandu. They prefer cash as digital payments often fail.

–IANS

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