Mumbai, June 25: The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have busted a syndicate in which gold smuggled through Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport, with the help of contractual airport staff, was delivered to a melting facility, where it was converted into gold bars for sale in the grey market. The agency on Wednesday arrested eight persons linked to the syndicate.
Those arrested have been identified as S. Pawar, P. Shinde, S.J. Patole, S.P. Patole, S. Mestry, S. Shaikh, A. Dhotre and C. Shetty.
Melting Facility Unearthed
According to the DRI, acting on specific intelligence, the melting facility was traced to Kalbadevi, where a search operation was conducted. The search led to the recovery of a bar purportedly made of smuggled gold.
The recovered gold bar appeared to have been prepared from melted gold, while the remaining gold dust, which was yet to be melted, was also recovered by DRI officers before the melting process could be completed.
The four accused present at the melting facility were S. Pawar, P. Shinde, S.J. Patole and S.P. Patole, all of whom are alleged to be involved in melting the smuggled gold at the facility.
Pawar could not produce any legal documents to establish the lawful purchase or legitimate possession of the gold bar. Officials seized gold valued at Rs 8.95 crore during the searches.
Smuggling Network Exposed
On further inquiry, the roles of two more members of the syndicate came to light. It was found that S. Mestry allegedly helped collect the smuggled gold from contractual airport staff and delivered it to another member of the syndicate, S. Shaikh, who allegedly received the gold from Mestry before handing it over to Pawar.
During the investigation, it was revealed that contractual airport staff member A. Dhotre allegedly smuggled gold out of the airport premises by concealing it beneath her clothing.
It was further learnt that she allegedly delivered the concealed gold to C. Shetty in the washroom located at the P4 parking area. Thereafter, Shetty allegedly handed over the gold to Mestry. Acting swiftly on the intelligence gathered, Dhotre and Shetty were apprehended.
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Gold Worth Rs 8.95 Crore Seized
"Investigation revealed that the recovered gold had originally been smuggled into India in the form of 12 capsules containing gold dust mixed with wax and wrapped with black adhesive tape. The smuggled gold was subsequently brought to the melting facility for refining and conversion into gold bars. One gold bar had already been prepared, while the remaining quantity was in the process of being melted when the DRI officers intercepted the accused persons. Furthermore, the rented premises where illegal melting of gold took place were also occupied illegally. No document or rent agreement was submitted to prove the legitimacy of the premises," said a DRI source.
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