DRI seizes nearly 17 kg gold smuggled from Myanmar worth over Rs 6 cr; 4 held

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in a coordinated operation, arrested four people for trying to smuggle into the country nearly 17 kg of gold worth over Rs 6 crore from Myanmar in specially designed waist belts, officials said on Monday.

Officers of the DRI's Delhi Zonal Unit intercepted three people travelling from Guwahati to Delhi by train on the intervening night of September 27 and 28, and seized 12.292 kg of smuggled gold from them, they said.

One of them was travelling by the North East Express and the other two by the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, officials said.

Acting on a tip-off, one more member of the same syndicate travelling from Guwahati to Howrah by the Saraighat Express was intercepted at Malda railway station by the DRI in coordination with the Customs Preventive Commissionerate, West Bengal, and 4.648 kg of smuggled gold was seized from him, they said.

In total, 16.95 kg of smuggled gold worth Rs 6.43 crore was seized, officials said, adding it was ingeniously concealed in specially designed waist belts made of cloth.

The gold had been smuggled into Guwahati from Myanmar through Moreh border and the smugglers opted train routes to transport it to Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata for further sale, the officials said.

The entire operation was carried by the DRI Delhi Zonal Unit in close coordination with the Patna Regional Unit, Malda and Behrampur Regional Units of the DRI; Customs Preventive Comrnissionerate, West Bengal and the Indian Railways, the officials said.