Ahmedabad:

A team of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested two carriers of a Mumbai based international gold smuggling racket from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here with 1.6 gold.

They had arrived here in two different flights from Dimapur, capital of Nagaland last evening after collecting gold from their accomplice in Myanmar.

Prior to this arrest on the tip off by DRI, Ahmedabad, the Airport Intelligence Unit at Delhi Airport had also nabbed a lady of the same gang who was taking out foreing currency hidden in her rectum to Bangkok for purchase of gold to be smuggled back to Mumbai.

A DRI officer today said taht specific intelligence was developed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Zonal Unit, Ahmedabad that a Mumbai based gold smuggling syndicate would be attempting to smuggle huge amount of foreign currencies out of India to Bangkok. It was further gathered that this smuggling syndicate would be sending one Mumbai based lady pax to Bangkok as carrier for smuggling of foreign currencies by Air India Flight No. AI-334 in the night of 24/04/2018 from Delhi Airport. DRI, Ahmedabad passed on this intelligence to Air Intelligence Unit, Delhi Airport. Acting upon the said intelligence officers of AIU, Delhi Airport intercepted the said lady pax when she reached Delhi Airport to board the flight to Bangkok. On interrogation she admitted that she had concealed three rolls of foreign currencies in her rectum. Total 37000 Euro equivalent to Rs. 31.5 lakhs were recovered from that lady pax.

‘ Further, it was also gathered by DRI, Ahmedabad that two carriers of same Mumbai based gold smuggling syndicate had taken smuggled gold from their accomplices in Tamu, Myanmar near Manipur-Myanmar border and they would be coming to Ahmedabad Airport from Dimapur Airport, Nagaland via Kolkata in the evening of 24/04/2018 . Officers of DRI, Ahmedabad intercepted both pax when they landed at Ahmedabad Airport as domestic pax in Go Air Flight No. G8-537 and Indigo Flight No. 6E-674 respectively. One of the two pax had concealed 800 gms smuggled gold in his rectum while the other pax had concealed 800 gms smuggled gold in his trouser pockets. Both pax revealed that gold was first being smuggled from Bangkok to Myanmar. From Myanmar gold was being smuggled into India through North-Eastern borders from where these smuggled gold were reaching in the hands of Mumbai based gold smuggling syndicate through carriers using different air routes. 1.6 kg Smuggled gold and foreign currencies totally valued at Rs. 82 lakhs were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962,’ he informed.

DeshGujarat