Eight DRI officials under home quarantine after accused tests positive for Covid-19

The DRI officials have been told to quarantine at home

Mumbai: Eight officials, including a deputy director of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), have been placed under home quarantine and will undergo coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tests after an exporter, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in smuggling endangered red sanders worth Rs 5.2 crore, tested Covid-19 positive on Tuesday.

One of the accused tested Covid-19 positive on Tuesday. (HTphoto)

“One of the accused tested Covid-19 positive on Tuesday. Eight DRI officials at our Nhava Sheva office have been quarantined since the accused, who tested Covid-19 positive, was in our custody,” said Rajesh Pandey, additional director-general, DRI (Mumbai zonal unit).

Earlier on June 13, the exporter (39), along with his aide, was arrested by the DRI officials from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) on the basis of a tip-off about the smuggling of red sanders.

“Though the exporter had declared that the cargo contained 29 metric tonnes of onions, on examination, it was revealed that 13 metric tonnes of red sanders, worth around Rs 5.2 crore, were being smuggled in the consignment,” said Pandey.

DRI officials uncovered that 17 metric tonnes of onions were put in the container as a ruse to smuggle the endangered red sanders.