DRI busts cross-border smuggling racket in Bengal, seizes 24 kg gold worth Rs 34 cr; 7 held

New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a gold smuggling racket operating along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and seized 24 kg gold worth Rs 34 crore, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.

In separate operations last month, DRI officers have dismantled an illegal melting unit in Delhi, and busted gold smuggling rackets pan-India and seized 9 kg smuggled gold, 42 kg silver, and forex worth Rs 8.5 crore.

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In a statement on the DRI operation in West Bengal, the ministry said based on an intelligence-led operation, DRI officials intercepted seven persons travelling on separate motorcycles from Krishnanagar towards Chakdaha in Nadia district, West Bengal.

Personal search of intercepted persons resulted in the recovery of 180 pieces of foreign-marked and defaced gold bars, ingeniously concealed inside specially tailored cloth belts worn around their waists to evade detection.

The recovered foreign-origin gold, collectively weighing around 24 kg and valued around Rs 34 crore, was seized. All seven persons involved in the smuggling operation have been arrested.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed that the carriers had collected the smuggled gold from locations near the Indo-Bangladesh border and were transporting it onward for delivery to another set of carriers," the ministry said.

In another statement, the finance ministry said DRI in a pan-India operation has busted a Delhi-based gold smuggling syndicate involved in smuggling foreign-origin gold from the Northeast to Delhi using multiple carriers travelling by different trains.

The syndicate staggered the movement of carriers to reduce risk of detection. They operated a melting facility in a densely populated residential area of Delhi.

On June 26, DRI officers intercepted two carriers at New Cooch Behar Railway Station, West Bengal, and Mansi Junction, Bihar. The persons intercepted by DRI had gold bars weighing around 2 kg concealed, on their persons.

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Simultaneously, two persons were also apprehended in Delhi along with smuggled gold weighing around 1.2 kg. These interventions led to the detection of an illicit gold-melting facility in Delhi. All four persons were arrested.

On the same day, in another operation, DRI officials intercepted a female carrier travelling from Sairang to Kolkata by train and recovered 20 gold bars of foreign origin, with markings in a foreign language, weighing around 3.3 kg. The gold was concealed in a customised waist belt. The passenger was arrested.

In Chennai, DRI unearthed a major smuggling racket involving illicit movement of foreign currency through domestic air cargo consignments and its use in financing organised smuggling of gold and silver into India.

DRI officers intercepted consignments at Chennai Air Cargo and recovered foreign currency comprising USD 7,58,500 and Thai Baht 35,00,000, valued at Rs 8.15 crore.

"Further, investigation revealed that the foreign currency was being smuggled out of India through various conduits and was being used to fund inward smuggling of precious metals back into country," the ministry said.

Pursuant to the investigation, one such recipient of foreign exchange was intercepted at Bengaluru airport while coming back from Dubai with 1.8 kg gold, followed by recovery of around 42 kg silver, 700 grams of gold jewellery and Rs 26.67 lakh Indian currency from his residence.

This establishes a direct operational link between the illicit procurement of foreign currency in India, its smuggling abroad, and the organised smuggling of gold and silver back into the country, the ministry said.

"In total, around 9 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold, 42 kg silver, foreign currency valued at 8.15 crore and Rs 26.67 lakh of Indian currency has been seized in these operations and eight persons have been arrested," the statement said.

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