DRI seizes 16.34 kg gold in Kolkata, arrests six

Sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence have seized 16.34kg of smuggled gold, valued at Rs 5.37 crore, from different areas of the city, and arrested six persons in this connection.

Kolkata: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 16.34 kg of smuggled gold, valued at Rs 5.37 crore, in three separate operations and arrested six people, according to an official, here on Saturday.

"In three separate operations by DRI sleuths, 16.34 kg of smuggled gold valued at Rs 5.37 crore was seized and six people were arrested," an official said.

"Acting on a tip-off, the agency arrested Mahesh Rai and Regina Farchinsungi alias Rita Maisek from a hotel in the Sudder Street, Kolkata, and recovered 4.98 kg gold, valued at Rs 1,65 crore.

The gold was smuggled from Myanmar through the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur," the DRI official said.

In second operation, the agency arrested Isaac Lalpekhlua from a guest house in the Salt Lake area and recovered 3.326 kg gold, valued at Rs 1,09 crore, also smuggled from Myanmar through the Mizoram border.

In the third operation in the Bara Bazar area, DRI sleuths recovered 8.048 kg gold valued at Rs 2.63 crore along with Rs 75.3 lakh cash.

The recovery was made from a metallic vault and a hand bag. While the search operation was on, one person came to deliver gold and was apprehended, the official said.

Three persons namely Raju Dutta, Chiranjit Dutta and Suman Saha have been arrested.

The gold had been smuggled in from Bangladesh. With this seizure, the DRI has seized 431 kg of gold, including ornaments, valued at Rs 135 crore in 2018-19 from the region, spread over West Bengal and the north-eastern states.

Seized gold is believed to been smuggled in from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and China through land borders.