Acting on specific inputs and in three coordinated interceptions at Patna, Delhi and Mumbai, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 65.46 kg of foreign-origin gold worth Rs 33.40 crore.
The gold was consigned from Aizwal to Mumbai in domestic courier consignment. The gold was concealed in gunny bags declared as clothes.
In yet another case of smuggling through the same route, the DRI seized another big haul of smuggled foreign origin gold weighing approximately 23.23 kg and valued at Rs. 11.65 crores (approx.) which was being smuggled from Myanmar.
Specific intelligence indicated that substantial quantity of foreign origin gold will be attempted to be smuggled from Champhai-Aizawl, Mizoram to Kolkata and West Bengal by concealing them in vehicle.
The DRI officers mounted surveillance on the highway connecting Siliguri - Guwahati. Four passengers travelling in 2 suspect vehicles were identified and intercepted. After thorough rummaging of the two vehicles over a period of 2 days, 23.23 Kg gold concealed in the vehicle body in the form of 21 cylindrical pieces, was recovered.
The gold in this case was cast in order to fit in the specifically made cavity inside the cross-member metal pipe connecting the right and left rails of chassis behind the rear wheels and suspension in both the vehicles. The recovered gold had been smuggled into India from Myanmar through Zokhawthar border in Mizoram. Four persons have been arrested in the instant case so far.
In another 9 cases in the month, DRI recovered and seized 27 kg smuggled gold from various carriers coming from North-Eastern part of the country to the rest of the country. These series of detections have helped unearth novel modus operandi of smuggling foreign origin gold into India from the North-Eastern part of the country.
