DRI seizes gold, silver, Indian currency worth Rs 14.13 crore; 6 held

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has uncovered an organised gold smuggling network and seized gold, silver and Indian currency collectively valued at more than Rs 14.13 crore, the Ministry of Finance said on Sunday.  

Six people involved in the racket have been arrested, officials said.

According to the agency, the syndicate was engaged in smuggling foreign-origin gold into India, transporting it through trains, melting it at illegal facilities to remove identifying marks, and then selling it in the domestic bullion market.

During the operation, DRI officials seized 8,286.81 grams of gold valued at about Rs 13.41 crore, 7,350.4 grams of silver worth Rs 19.67 lakh and Indian currency amounting to Rs 51.74 lakh.

The seizures were made under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

The case came to light after DRI officers acted on specific intelligence and intercepted a passenger who had arrived from Kolkata by train at the New Delhi Railway Station.

The passenger was carrying foreign-marked gold that was meant to be delivered to another person outside the station. Both the carrier and the receiver were immediately apprehended by the officials.

Based on their disclosures, DRI teams carried out follow-up searches in Delhi and uncovered an illegal gold melting facility.

Investigators found that the unit was being used to melt foreign-origin gold and remove its identifying marks before selling it in the local market.

Additional gold, silver and cash were recovered from the premises, and the manager running the facility was also taken into custody.

Further investigation then led officials back to Kolkata, where the alleged mastermind of the syndicate was traced to another illegal melting unit.

More defaced gold was recovered during the operation. The mastermind was arrested along with two carriers who admitted that smuggled foreign-marked gold had been received by them, melted to remove its markings and then sent to Delhi by train for distribution.

Officials said all six people involved in the smuggling, transportation, melting and sale of the gold have been arrested and produced before a competent court.

The investigation is ongoing to identify other members of the network and trace the source of the smuggled gold, the agency said.

--IANS

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