Mumbai-based smugglers arrested with gold worth over ₹2 crore

The accused duo was travelling in AC-1 compartment of a Delhi-bound train. The gold bars were found to be concealed in specially tailored cloth vests.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) late on Monday night arrested two people from Dibrugarh-New Delhi AC special train (02423) and recovered four bars weighing six-kilograms of foreign-origin gold.

Image for representation. (HT_PRINT)

"Acting on the basis of specific intelligence, very meticulously and painstakingly developed over days, the sleuths of Patna Zonal Unit of the DRI apprehended two persons at Patliputra Railway Station when the train arrived. The DRI sleuths recovered 4 gold bars from their possession,” said an official, adding that the arrested syndicate carriers have been identified as — Navnath Suryavansi and Vikram Misal- both residents of Sangli, Maharastra.

They were travelling in AC-1 compartment of the Delhi-bound train. The gold bars were found to be concealed in specially tailored cloth vests.

The official said they didn't produce any valid document evidencing legal importation, possession and transportation of above gold bars. The gold bars were examined by a government valuer who assessed their value to be around ₹2.96 crores. In their respective statements recorded under section 108 of the Customs Act, they revealed that the aforesaid gold had been smuggled from Myanmar into India. Both have been taken into custody. Further investigation is on.

According to RPF Inspector PK Barnwal, the DRI got an input that two suspected persons travelling in the first-class compartment of the train are carrying an illegal consignment. Following a tip-off, the RPF requested Danapur control to give an extra stoppage to the train at Patliputra Junction to facilitate the search operation. When the train arrived at platform number 2, with the assistance of RPF personnel, DRI sleuths searched the compartment and caught the duo.

The arrested duo tried to dodge the officials after producing a fake document allegedly issued by JMB Bulians, HB Road, Masjid Gali, Fancy Bazar, Guwahati. When DRI sleuths scanned the receipt, they noticed that the date of issue of the document was February 8, the day of their boarding from Guwahati Junction at around 7 am.

The accused have been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962 and remanded to judicial custody while further investigation is in progress.

The DRI officials had recovered gold consignment three times from the Dibrugarh-New Delhi AC special train and twice before from North East Express in the last six months.

The intelligence inputs indicated that the recovered gold bars carrying foreign markings had been smuggled into India from Myanmar through the international land border at Moreh in Manipur. The smuggling syndicate operating from Guwahati was attempting to dispose of the contraband in the cities of Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai which notably have thriving markets for the yellow metal and jewellery.

"The smuggling syndicate sourced and recruited poor and needy individuals from various parts of the country to act as carriers of the smuggled gold by luring them with the prospect of quick and easy money," said the official. The smugglers used air, land and rail routes to locally transport the smuggled gold.