With two seizures, DRI says foiled attempts at organised gold smuggling

New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday claimed to have foiled attempts at organised gold smuggling through the air route, with the two successive seizures of 5.8 kg gold worth Rs 3.10 crore in Lucknow and Mumbai last week, which had a common method of concealment.

After having developed precise intelligence, on May 6 DRI officers inspected a consignment which had arrived from Dubai at Air Cargo Complex, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, containing gold.

"In the import documents, the item was declared as "sectional & 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 official said. The importer was located in south Mumbai and was arrested in a swift action. A case under the Customs Act was lodged against the accused.

"The recovered gold was seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act. The accused importer was placed under arrest under Section 104 of the Customs Act,' said the official. A senior DRI official said that the importer was produced before a court which remanded him to judicial custody.

A report on this organised smuggling gang was made and shared with the finance ministry by the DRI officials.