Siliguri becomes major underground international antique trade conduit

SILIGURI: Despite eagles eye of several border guarding forces and security agencies, Siliguri, with its unique geographical location at northern corner of West Bengal, continues to remain as a major illegal international antique article trading conduit.

SSB to guard Indo-Nepal Border in West, BSF to guard Indo-Bangla border in South and East, Customs at all the border gates or omnipresent Police force, nothing could help the situation. As the latest incident, working on tip off- Bengal police has recovered a Bronze idol of Godess Durga on Thursday from Siliguri and arrested one in this connection.

According to Commissioner of Customs & Central Excise, NB and Sikkim Mr. R. Mangababu, recoveries of recent past form various places of North Bengal proves active operation of well networked international rackets in the region.

All the places of recovery are in close vicinity to the Siliguri corridor that’s a 200 Km stretch of NH 31 running East-West through Siliguri with Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan on its north and Bangladesh in South. According to customs intelligence officials, the Corridor has become a powerful hub for the international antique smugglers.

The supply lines to the corridor run from antique rich Bhutan, Sikkim, Eastern India or Bangladesh at a distance less than 100 km form the corridor. In dispatch side, “With open border between India and Nepal, one can easily enter the Himalayan country from Siliguri through Panitanki-Kakarvita border near Naxalbari to get the antiques to underground markets in Europe or America through Nepal than shipping those through Kolkata or Mumbai,” said Mr. Mangababu.

In addition to several lower level players, senior members of a global level antique trafficking gang, Mr. Sahu Mahajan of Kathmandu, was also arrested earlier from Indo-Nepal border who gave important lead to police.

However, these recoveries are just tip of the iceberg indicating huge volume of undetected trade along the corridor-accepted intelligence officials.

Date of recovery Description

25/04/2001 Sand Stone Krishna 26/04/2001 Octa alloy Buddha 18/07/2001 Octa alloy Buddha 6/6/2002 Emerald Buddha 24/09/2002 Buddha 16/06/2003 White Stone Statue 22/12/2007 4 Pieces of Black Basalt Vishnu Vishnu, Surya- Black basalt 8~9/11/2008 Surya, Siva, Ganesh- Black Basalt 12/1/2012 Shiva, Vishnu, Surya- Black basalt 07/06.2012 Durga, Bronze