DRI, Assam Rifles seize 12 kg gold smuggled from Myanmar in Manipur

Department of Revenue Intelligence sleuths and Assam Rifles troopers, in a joint operation on Thursday, seized over 12 kg of gold valued at Rs 3.62 crore in Manipur, said a release.

The raid, conducted on the basis of specific intelligence developed by DRI, unearthed gold from the India-Myanmar border at Moreh.

The joint team stopped two vehicles at Khudengthabi travelling from Moreh towards Imphal for checking, and found gold biscuits hidden inside the front and rear tyre of both cars.

Two persons have been apprehended, the DRI release said.

The gold has been seized under the Customs Act.

DRI is the lead agency to combat cross border crime involving smuggling of gold, consumer goods, drugs and narcotics, wild life articles, Fake Indian Currency Notes and counterfeit goods, import-export frauds and trade based money laundering.

Northeastern region including Assam having boundaries with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and China is particularly sensitive from the perspective of smuggling activities and cross border crime.

There have been significant seizures of gold bars of foreign origin smuggled from Myanmar through the India-Myanmar border adjacent to Moreh and also from the Zokhawthar border with Myanmar in Mizoram.

In the ongoing year, DRI with the help of Assam RifleA has made seizure of total 28 kg of foreign origin smuggled gold in two separate cases in Manipur at the same place.

--IANS

ssp/vd

A