DRI seizes 11 kg gold worth over Rs 5 crore, foils smuggling attempt
India Today
DRI officials have successfully foiled attempts of organised gold smuggling through air routes by effecting two successive seizures in Lucknow and Mumbai.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has successfully foiled attempts of organised gold smuggling though air route by effecting two successive seizures in Lucknow and Mumbai last week, which had a common method of concealment of gold.
After having received precise intelligence on May 6, DRI officials inspected a consignment which had arrived from Dubai at Air Cargo Complex, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. In the import documents, the item was declared as sectional and drum type drain cleaning machines, but on careful examination, 5.8 kg gold valued at Rs 3.10 crore in disc form was found concealed inside two motor rotors of the machine imported in the said consignment.
The importer was located in South Mumbai and was arrested. The importer has been sent to judicial custody by a local court.
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This seizure in Mumbai was on the heels of another seizure made by DRI Officers in Lucknow a day earlier on May 5. In that case too, DRI intercepted an import cargo said to contain an electrical threading machine at Air Cargo Complex of Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, and gold discs were found concealed in the machines in a very similar fashion. Total 5.2 kg gold, valued at Rs 2.78 crore, was seized in this case.
Over the last year, DRI has affected significant seizures of gold from cargo and courier consignments.
In July 2021, DRI had seized 16.79 kg gold, valued at Rs 8 crore, from a courier consignment, followed by seizure of 80.13 kg smuggled gold, valued at Rs 39.31 crore, in November 2021 from a cargo consignment - both at New Delhi.
