DRI seizes 24.4 kg of gold smuggled from Bangladesh in ‘Operation Eastern Gateway’
The accused had hidden the gold in strips in the false cavities of vehicles
PremiumNEW DELHI : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday said that its personnel have arrested eight persons for smuggling gold through the Bangladesh border, and seized 24.4 kg gold worth ₹14 crore.
It informed that the accused had hidden the gold in strips in the false cavities of vehicles. These strips were also hidden in specially-tailored waist belts worn by each of them.
“The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) launched an operation codenamed ‘Operation Eastern Gateway’, which involved developing the intelligence over a substantial period of time to bust the smuggling modus operandi. A syndicate based in Bangladesh, Tripura, Assam and West Bengal was smuggling huge quantities of Gold from Bangladesh to India through Indo- Bangladesh border in the state of Tripura," the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
In the operation, various teams of DRI were strategically placed at different locations in the states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura including at Indo-Bangladesh border so that the modus operandi used by the smuggling syndicate could be unearthed.
On the basis of intelligence inputs, 8 persons of the syndicate were identified and in a simultaneous and well-coordinated operation at three locations all the 8 persons were apprehended red-handed.
The DRI said that the team at Siliguri apprehended four persons, while they were travelling in a train from Badarpur Junction in Assam to Sealdah, at Dalkhola Railway Station in West Bengal and recovered 90 gold strips from their possession weighing 18.66 kg, worth ₹10.66 crores.
These strips were hidden in specially-tailored waist belts worn by each of them.
Simultaneously, the team at Agartala apprehended one person who was driving a four-wheeler near Indo-Bangladesh border near Agartala and found two gold bars weighing 2.25 kg, valued at ₹1.30 crore, clandestinely concealed in a special cavity built under the driver side front door.
Yet another team of DRI at Karimganj in Assam apprehended three persons while they were travelling in a train from Agartala to Sealdah and seized eight bars of gold weighing 3.50 kg valued at ₹2.03 crore, from their possession.
“In the said operation, smuggled gold cumulatively weighing 24.4 kg, valued at ₹14 crores, was seized and all the eight apprehended persons were arrested," the ministry said.
The all-India gold seizure by the DRI in this financial year has crossed 1000 kg.
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