Grains for gold: Indian export curbs drive boom in barter smuggling
INDIA – Guards on either side of a border checkpoint between India and Bangladesh scour vehicles and frisk passengers in a hunt for illicit consignments of gold and drugs, as well as food staples such as sugar, grain and even onions. “We caught smugglers in August who were transporting sugar concealed beneath a layer of sand in their vehicle,” said an officer of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) in the northeastern city of Shillong, who sought anonymity. (Reuters)
Photo: A Border Security Force (BSF) official stands in front of the gates of the India-Bangladesh international border in Petrapole, India.