NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a most wanted accused in the case relating to the seizure of 18.56 kg of gold bars at the Jaipur International Airport. According to the police, a Red Corner Notice (RCN) and a Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against the accused in the case.


The arrested accused has been identified as Mohabbat Ali, a resident of Rajasthan, who had been absconding since September 2020 and the NIA had filed a chargesheet against him on March 22, 2021, under sections 120B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 16,18, and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
 
The NIA had declared Mohabbat Ali as ‘most wanted’ with a reward of Rs 2 lakh against him. Mohabbat Ali was declared a Proclaimed Offender (PO) on March 17, 2021, by the NIA Special Court and Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was also issued against him. Further, a LOC was opened in 2021 and a RCN was issued against him on September 13, 2021.
 
The gold bars, valuing over Rs 9 crore in the market, were seized while being smuggled from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in 2020 as part of a criminal conspiracy to smuggle gold into India to derail the country’s economic security and monetary stability.
 
The bars, whose precise market value was rated at Rs 92,382,724, had been concealed in a battery of emergency lights for smuggling into India by the accused, Mohabbat Ali, Subhash, Md Maqbool Sheikh, Chuna Ram and Amjad Ali.
 
The NIA investigations revealed that the accused provided the gold bars to the carriers, Subhash and Maqbool Sheikh, to be smuggled from Riyadh to Jaipur.