DRI seizes over Rs 6 crore worth gold; arrests 5 Bhutanese nationals

Image Courtesy: ANI

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Thursday seized 20 kg of smuggled gold and arrested five Bhutanese nationals in the national capital. The gold was worth Rs 6 crore. 

The gold was hidden in specially designed cloth belts and shoes which the accused were wearing. 

DRI arrested two passengers who arrived in Delhi from West Bengal by train. The police seized 10 kgs of foreign markets muggled gold having a market value of Rs 3.13 crore from them.

The gold had been smuggled into India from Bhutan and was being transported to Delhi, the statement issued by the DRI said. 

In another operation conducted the same day, officers of DRI intercepted three passengers arriving by train from West Bengal and seized 10.2 kgs of foreign marked smuggled gold having a market value of Rs 3.26 crores from them. 

The modus operandi was similar in both the cases. "The gold was concealed in specially designed cloth belts worn by the passengers," it said. 

In one instance, two gold bars weighing 1 kg each were concealed in the shoes of one of the passengers, the probe agency said.

The seized gold had been smuggled into India via the land border with neighbouring countries and was being transported to Delhi for sale during the ongoing festive season, it said. 

All five passengers are Bhutanese nationals and have been arrested, the DRI said. 

There has been a spurt in the number of seizures by DRI of gold being smuggled into India from China, Myanmar and Bhutan via the land border, it said. 

Such smuggling of gold into India is expected to peak during the festive season due to increased domestic demand and high differential between the price of gold in India and the source countries, the DRI said. 

(With Agency Inputs)