Police bust gold smuggling racket, seize foreign currency

Police today busted a gold smuggling racket by arresting a businessman and seized foreign currency worth Rs 93 lakh from his possession.
Acting on a tip off, sleuths of Commissioner's Task Force (East Zone) nabbed one Syed Sajid alias Ajju, who is allegedly involved in gold smuggling, at Kalapattar here, Task Force Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police B Limba Reddy said.
Police seized 4.5 lakh Saudi Riyals, 1.31 lakh Dirhams of UAE countries, collectively worth about Rs 93 lakh in Indian currency.
During investigations, police found that Ajju was involved in smuggling gold into India along with one Ali Bin Sayeed alias Fahad, who was already arrested by Customs department and presently lodged in Chanchalguda Jail.

Police said for the past few days Ajju was operating on his own.
"For this purpose, Ajju used to send his known contacts to Dubai from RGIA (Rajiv Gandhi International Airport) here by arranging visitor visas with return tickets.He also gave his contacts foreign currency to buy gold biscuits.

"The gold biscuits purchased in Dubai were smuggled into India through the RGIA with the help of wheel chair assistants of Air India, namely Mohd Farooq and Praveen Kumar," the Additional DCP said.
The smuggled gold was converted into small pieces and sold in the local market. It has been found that Ajju is in the gold smuggling activity for the past over two years, Reddy said.

As the case pertains to Enforcement Directorate, the accused person along with seized property will be handed over to the agency here for further investigation, the officer said, adding that search was on to nab others involved in the racket.