Mumbai: Acting on specific intelligence, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a syndicate involved in the smuggling of foreign-origin gold through land route and train route. In a meticulously planned and well-coordinated operation involving DRI teams across three locations, a huge quantity of smuggled gold weighing around 31.7 Kg valued at around Rs.19 crores was seized on 13/14.10.2023 at Varanasi, Nagpur and Mumbai.
The Nagpur Team apprehended two carriers of gold when they alighted at Nagpur railway station from a train that started from Kolkata. 8.5 Kg foreign marked gold was recovered from them. From their interrogation, two receivers of the smuggled gold were also identified and apprehended.
The Varanasi Team managed to apprehend two of the accused and the car when they were travelling in UP, with the help of local police, after a 3-hour dramatic chase on the road and a search operation inside the forest. About 18.2 Kg of gold was recovered from the two persons and from a cavity made below the hand brake of the car.
The Mumbai Team managed to trace 5 accused on the roads of Mumbai after they had travelled from Varanasi by train, carrying gold. A total of 4.9 Kg of gold was recovered from them.
Modus Operandi
This syndicate used to smuggle gold brought into India via the borders of Bangladesh and further diverted the same to Mumbai, Nagpur, Varanasi etc. With due diligence and coordinated plan of action, a total of 11 persons have been arrested, out of which 5 people were arrested in Mumbai, 2 in Varanasi and 4 in Nagpur. These 11 accused persons cover offenders at all rungs of the gold smuggling syndicate viz. carriers/passengers, handlers, and final recipients of the smuggled gold.
This operation once again shows the ability of DRI to work in a professional way to unearth syndicates posing a threat to the economic security of the country. It also highlights the fruits of inter- agency cooperation in such a pan- India operation.
