DRI seizes 21 kg foreign-origin gold worth ₹32 crore in crackdown on smuggling
Five persons arrested; gold traced to Myanmar and Nepal routes
The latest seizures form part of a wider DRI crackdown on organised gold smuggling.
NEW DELHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized around 21 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately ₹32 crore in two recent operations and arrested five persons under the Customs Act, 1962.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted two new Thar vehicles near Palwal Toll Plaza. The vehicles contained sophisticated concealed cavities created in the chassis by removing and expertly welding back a portion of the chassis above the rear wheels.
After detailed examination, officers recovered 15.18 kg of gold bars valued at approximately ₹23.30 crore from the two vehicles on September 19. Four persons accompanying the vehicles were arrested. Preliminary intelligence indicates that the gold had been smuggled from Myanmar.
In a separate operation on September 16, DRI officers intercepted a passenger at Jewar Toll Plaza travelling by bus from Gorakhpur to Delhi. A personal search led to the recovery of 5.8 kg of foreign-origin gold, comprising five 1-kg gold bars and approximately 800 grams of cut pieces.
The gold was concealed in a specially designed cotton waist belt. The passenger was arrested under the Customs Act, 1962. Preliminary investigation indicated that the gold had been handed over to him in Kathmandu and brought into India through the India-Nepal land border.
The latest seizures form part of a wider DRI crackdown on organised gold smuggling. Over the last three weeks, DRI officers have seized around 123 kg of gold and 10 kg of silver, collectively valued at more than ₹187 crore, in operations across the country. A total of 58 persons have been arrested for gold smuggling during this period.
The operations highlight the increasingly sophisticated concealment methods being used by organised smuggling networks, as well as DRI’s efforts to identify and disrupt the networks facilitating the movement of foreign-origin gold into India.
