Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday seized 101.7 kg of the yellow metal valued at around Rs 51 crore from 10 persons arrested after the officials busted the gold smuggling syndicate involving Sudanese nationals operating through the Indo-Nepal border. The 'Operation Golden Dawn', conducted pan-India, involved interceptions at Patna, Pune and Mumbai.
At least ten persons linked to the syndicate -- seven Sudanese nationals and three Indians -- were arrested during the crackdown, an official said. Indian and foreign currency notes worth more than Rs 1.35 crore were also recovered during the DRI action, he added. The foreign currency was worth Rs 74 lakhs, while the Indian currency worth Rs 63 lakhs was also confiscated from the arrested.
The seized gold, mostly in paste form, was brought to Patna through the Indo-Nepal border and then transported via trains or by air to different parts of the country, largely to Mumbai, said the official. Acting on specific information, DRI officials intercepted three Sudanese nationals on late Sunday night while they were boarding a Mumbai-bound train at the Patna railway station, he said.
Gold paste containing gold weighing 37.126 kg and hidden in 40 packets was recovered from two Sudanese nationals, who had ingeniously concealed the precious metal in a specially made cavity of the sleeveless jackets worn by them, the official said. The third foreign national was a handler coordinating smuggling activity at border areas and arranging transport of smuggled gold, he said.
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A second set of two Sudanese women were intercepted on Monday in Pune while they were travelling from Hyderabad to Mumbai in a bus with 5.615 kg of smuggled gold, the official said. The seized yellow metal was in an assorted form and concealed in handbags, he said.
A third set of two Sudanese nationals travelling to Mumbai from Patna were intercepted at a railway station in the financial capital on Monday. Gold paste containing gold weighing 38.76 kg and concealed in 40 packets was recovered from them, the official informed.
In all, the DRI seized approximately 101.7 kg gold valued at Rs 51 crore along with Rs 74 lakh worth of foreign currency and Rs 63 lakh in Indian notes, he said, adding further investigation was in progress. (With Agency Inputs)
