Mumbai: The Maharashtra Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a gold smuggling bid and recovered 37 kg of gold worth around Rs 22 crore and Rs 2.35 crore in cash from the Air Cargo Complex in suburban Andheri in Mumbai. As per officials, the DRI sleuths made the recovery from a smelting and processing unit at at Dhanji Street in Kalbadevi on Monday.
DRI sources said that the raid was launched following specific inputs about the smuggling of gold at the unit. They further revealed that during the subsequent searches, the DRI officials seized 37 kg of gold worth Rs 22 crore. According to DRI officials, they have arrested Prashant Mohan Maikar, in-charge of the melting unit. The gold was found in various stages of processing, an official said.
Unaccounted cash worth Rs 20 lakh was also seized from the unit, the DRI said. As per the DRI officials, the gold was smuggled from abroad through various hawala channels. It is learnt that the DRI has been tracking the hawala channels for quite some time now based on the arrests and interrogation of several suspected foreign nationals arriving in India.
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As per the DRI officials, the arrested in-charge of the smelting and processing unit disclosed during questioning that that the smuggled gold had been procured from different individuals including foreign nationals. In order to dodge the customs department at the airport, the gold would be smuggled in the form of capsules through body concealment, in travel bags, layering of clothes and different types of machines, a DRI official said.
On its arrival in India, the smuggled gold was delivered to various domestic players part of the syndicate. The DRI has arrested the accused under the Customs Act and further investigation is underway in the case.
