DRI seizes Rs 1.57 cr worth smuggled gold in West Bengal

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 30 gold biscuits weighing a total of 4.98 kg valued at Rs 1.57 crore, smuggled through the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur, according to an official statement issued Tuesday.

The gold biscuits were recovered from the possession of a person, a resident of Manipur, who was travelling by bus which departed from Siliguri and was intercepted at Ranaghat railway level crossing on NH 34 on Monday morning, it said.

The interception took place while the smuggled gold biscuits were en-route from Siliguri to Kolkata.

The smuggled gold biscuits were concealed in a backpack by the accused and wrapped in a red and white coloured towel (Gamchaa), the DRI said in the statement.

Interrogation of the apprehended person revealed that he had been to Imphal, Manipur on Thursday during which he received the cache of gold, which was then concealed by him for transportation to Kolkata, it said.

The gold biscuits were supposed to be delivered by the accused person at Kolkata.

With this seizure, in the current financial year, in the region spread over West Bengal and the north-eastern states, the DRI has seized over 350 kg of gold and gold jewellery valued at close to Rs 108.8 crore in the market, smuggled from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and even China.