DRI Seizes 41 Kg Foreign-Origin Gold Worth Rs 62 Crore in Six Operations
New Delhi, Sept 10 (TNT): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized around 41 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately Rs 62 crore in six intelligence-led operations in recent days, leading to the arrest of 24 persons, including three foreign nationals.
The operations uncovered gold-smuggling networks using airports, rail routes and the Indo-Bangladesh border, the DRI said in a release on Thursday.
In Delhi, DRI officials on September 7 seized around 10.2 kg of gold during searches at premises linked to a person involved in procurement and conversion of foreign-origin gold.
The seizure included four 1-kg gold bars and around 6.2 kg of gold chains. A manufacturing facility equipped for melting, rolling and die-cutting gold was also found at the premises. One person was arrested.
In another operation in Delhi on September 8, officials intercepted a vehicle travelling from Punjab and seized 1.21 kg of gold and foreign currency worth around Rs 43.50 lakh. One person was arrested.
In West Bengal, the DRI, in coordination with the BSF, seized around 11.3 kg of foreign-origin gold bars from a person near the Indo-Bangladesh border on September 5-6.
The person was arrested under the Customs Act after allegedly admitting involvement in smuggling.
At Howrah Railway Station, DRI officials on September 3-4 intercepted a passenger travelling under a different name and recovered 4.6 kg of defaced foreign-origin gold bars concealed in a specially designed cloth belt.
The passenger and an associate were arrested.
In Mumbai, the DRI busted a network allegedly involving transit passengers and airport staff. Eight capsules containing gold dust in wax form, weighing 3.47 kg, were seized.
Five persons, including two transit passengers, two airport staff members and a recipient, were arrested.
The transit passengers had arrived from Muscat and Dubai and were travelling onwards to Bangkok, the DRI said.
In two other operations, DRI officials seized 1.6 kg of foreign-origin gold from a passenger travelling by train from Kolkata to Mumbai.
In another case, a 700-gram 24-carat gold bar was recovered from the motor of a treadmill imported from Hong Kong.
Follow-up searches led to the arrest of two persons, including a Chinese national.
In Uttar Pradesh, the DRI, in coordination with Chandauli Police, seized around 2.56 kg of foreign-origin gold concealed beneath the gearbox of a car on September 8-9. Two persons were arrested.
At Calicut, DRI officials seized 1.7 kg of gold in two operations on September 1-2.
The seizures included 770 grams of gold concealed in capsules and a packet hidden inside a passenger’s infant daughter’s diaper, and around 1 kg of 24-carat gold concealed in the metallic ring portion of a coffee machine.
Two persons were arrested.
The DRI said its intelligence-led and coordinated operations were aimed at disrupting organised gold-smuggling networks at different stages of the smuggling chain and preventing the illicit movement of precious metals into the country.
TNT KM
