'Ashtadhatu' idol worth Rs. 45 crore seized along Indo-Nepal border

In a successful attempt, the Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) 41battalion in a joint operation with the Preventive and Intelligence Siliguri unit detained a person who was trying to smuggle an Ashtadhatu' (metallic) idol along Indo-Nepal border.

Pulkit Rishi, a resident of Bihar, he was detained while he was going for a deal with a Nepal-based smuggler party.

The team acted on a tip-off from a person at Kisanganj-Siliguri road when he was on his way to smuggle it to Nepal.

SSB officials informed that the cost of the seized precious idol as per international market rate and previous seizure done by other agencies in different parts of country is approx Rs. 45 crore.

Superintendent of Customs Department of P&I Siliguri unit Mukesh Kumar told that a primary certificate from the history department of North Bengal University has been given which defines the idol as antic.

"The idol is a high valued antic made of Ashtadhatu with a height of around 54 centimeters, width 23 centimeters and weighing around 24.07 kg," he said.