BSF commandant arrested for receiving bribes from cross-border smugglers

NEW DELHI: Putting in dock Border Security Force’s security arrangements at the Indo-Bangladesh border, the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a commandant – Jibu D Mathew, posted at South Bengal frontier, for allegedly taking bribes from cross border smugglers for facilitating their illegal activities.
The central anti-corruption agency chased Mathew till Alapuzzha on Tuesday when he was travelling in Shalimar Express train to his home in Kerala with over Rs 45 lakh bribe money.
Mathew is in charge of 83rd battalion of BSF, which is mandated for securing the border with Bangladesh in Murshidabad. This 70-km stretch is known for smuggling of cattle, drugs, fake Indian currency notes and human trafficking.
CBI had information that Mathew was in the habit of regularly collecting illegal gratification from the smugglers operating along the international border.
Upon receiving information that he was travelling with a blue colour trolley bag containing bribe money, the CBI team along with an independent witness, chased Mathew from Ernakulam station. A CBI Inspector the same coach as Mathew and kept an eye on him.
The commandant, who was posted in South Bengal frontier of BSF in 2016, was intercepted when he got down at Alappuzha, sources said.
During a search in the presence of railway officials and the witness, the CBI team found 18 bundles of currency notes of Rs 2,000 denomination totalling Rs 34.44 lakh and 22 bundles of Rs 500 notes totalling around Rs 10.86 lakh concealed under clothes in a blue trolley bag, the CBI FIR alleged.
On examining Jibu D Mathew about the source of the cash, it was found he got the money from smugglers operating at the India-Bangladesh border as illegal gratification for favours he extended to them, according to the FIR.
Sources said that they are investigating whether others in the junior rank in his battalion were involved with him in allowing smugglers to carry on their activity because it was not possible for Commandant rank officer alone to run this kind of racket.
P S R Anjaneyulu – Inspector General of South Bengal Frontier of BSF – told Times of India, “A lot of activity happens on this side of border. We had, in fact, provided him (Mathew) two additional companies to keep a check on activities of smugglers in last two months. But we had no idea that he himself was involved in such an activity”.
Anjaneyulu added that departmental action has already been initiated against him.
BSF spokesperson Subhendu Bhardwaj said, “The law will take its own course”.