Mumbai Crime: DRI seizes 101.7 kg smuggled gold worth Rs 51 crore

The Directorate Revenue Of Intelligence (DRI) has seized 101.7 kg of gold worth Rs 51 crore in a pan India operation

The Directorate Revenue Of Intelligence (DRI) has seized 101.7 kg of gold worth Rs 51 crore in a pan India operation 'Golden Dawn'. A major syndicate has been busted where Sudanese nationals were operating to smuggle gold through Nepal.

"Operation Golden Dawn- seizure of 101.7 kg smuggled gold in a pan India operation. In a pan-India operation, DRI has busted a gold smuggling syndicate of Sudanese nationals operating through the Nepal border", DRI said in its statement

According to DRI, in different interceptions in Patna, Pune and Mumbai, a total of 101.7 kg of smuggled gold valued at Rs. 51 crores (approx.) has been seized. The seized gold, mostly in paste form, was being brought to Patna through the Indo-Nepal border and then transported via train or by air to different parts of the country, largely to Mumbai.

The DRI officials intercepted three Sudanese nationals on February 19, boarding a train at the Patna Railway Station destined for Mumbai.

"Gold paste containing gold weighing 37.126 kg in 40 packets was recovered from two Sudanese who had ingeniously concealed it in the specially made cavities of the sleeveless jackets worn by them. The third person was the handler coordinating the smuggling activity at the border area and arranged the transport of smuggled gold," an officer said.

The second set of two Sudanese lady nationals were intercepted on February 20 in Pune while traveling from Hyderabad to Mumbai via a bus and around 5.615 kg of smuggled gold in assorted forms was recovered from them concealed in their handbags, the statement further reads.

On the same day, February 20, a third set of two Sudanese nationals traveling to Mumbai from Patna were intercepted at Mumbai Railway Station and gold paste containing gold weighing 38.76 kg in 40 packets was recovered from two Sudanese who had concealed it in a similar fashion.

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Acting swiftly on the leads provided by the smugglers/carriers, the DRI officers recovered about 20.2 kg smuggled gold in assorted forms along with Rs 74 lakh worth of foreign currency and Rs 63 lakh Indian currency from different premises in Mumbai being used for extraction/ storage of smuggled gold. Three persons were apprehended in this follow-up action.

"DRI has earlier unearthed various novel modus operandi of smuggling foreign origin gold into India such as smuggling from the northeastern part of the country either through courier route of logistics company or using concealment methods in vehicles or in person by bus, train, flight, etc. or recovery of gold from the sea bed in Tamil Nadu Coast after it was thrown by smugglers from the fishing boat, etc apart from the traditional modes used by the smugglers," DRI said in its statement

In the present operation, code-named Golden Dawn, DRI seized a total of approximately 101.7 kg gold valued at Rs 51 crore along with ₹ 74 lakh worth of foreign currency and Rs 63 lakhs Indian currency and arrested seven Sudanese and three Indian nationals so far.