Gold worth Rs 3.32 crore seized from Siliguri, four arrested

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths have seized around 10.5 kg of gold bearing foreign inscriptions and valued at Rs 3.32 crore and arrested four persons from a hotel in this northern West Bengal town, the agency said on Friday.

Based on intelligence inputs, the DRI officers raided the hotel opposite the Central Bus Terminus under Pradhannagar police station on Wednesday and seized 23 gold bars totalling 10.49 kg from four persons.

All of them were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

The gold bars were smuggled into India from Myanmar through the India-Myanmar border at Champhai, Mizoram.

The accused travelled by bus to Siliguri and were headed for onward delivery to Kolkata, the DRI release said.

Only last week, the DRI had seized 10 kg of gold near Siliguri which was smuggled from Bhutan through the Jaigaon- Phuentsholling border.

Last month, the agency had effected another seizure of 32 kg of gold near Siliguri, where the gold was smuggled from China through the Nathu La border.

In the previous financial year (2017-2018), the DRI seized close to 430 kg of gold and gold jewellery in the East and North East region collectively valued at more than Rs 110 crore.

In the current financial year, till date DRI has seized over 162 kg of gold and gold jewellery valued at close to Rs 53 crore in the market.

--IANS

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