The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence busted a pan-India gold smuggling syndicate, seizing 6.61 kg of foreign-origin gold worth Rs 10.36 crore and arresting 11 people across five cities.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a pan-India gold smuggling syndicate and seized 6.61 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold worth over Rs 10 crore and arrested 11 people, the finance ministry said on Monday.The syndicate operated through the courier network and had transported 318 kg smuggled gold worth Rs 475 crore through courier channels in past nine months, further investigation in the case has revealed.

Acting on specific intelligence regarding regular smuggling of foreign-origin gold through the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and Assam, followed by its transportation to different parts of the country through courier consignments, DRI mounted a coordinated multi-city operation on September 23 and 24. Simultaneous interceptions and searches were conducted at Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Guwahati, the ministry said in a statement.
During the operation, live courier consignments containing smuggled gold, booked from Guwahati and Kolkata for delivery in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad, were intercepted. Seven recipients of the consignments were apprehended, while simultaneous searches at the premises of the consignors/ shippers in Kolkata led to the apprehension of three more persons.
One of the masterminds coordinating the dispatch and delivery of the smuggled gold was also apprehended in Mumbai.
The investigation revealed that the syndicate was splitting smuggled gold into multiple small courier consignments for transportation from Guwahati and Kolkata to different recipients in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad for disposal in the domestic market.
The consignors/shippers and recipients were found to be paper entities/persons without any legitimate gold transactions, indicating the deliberate use of the courier network to conceal and distribute the smuggled gold, the ministry said.
"A total of 6.61 kg foreign-origin gold in bar form, valued at about Rs 10.36 crore, was recovered from the intercepted consignments and seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. 11 persons associated with the syndicate have been arrested," the ministry said.


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