21 Kg Gold Worth Rs 32 Crore Seized, Five Arrested in DRI Crackdown

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized around 21 kg of foreign-origin gold worth more than Rs 32 crore in two separate operations and arrested five persons under the Customs Act, 1962, officials said.

In the first operation on September 19, DRI officers, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted two new Thar vehicles near Palwal Toll Plaza in Haryana. A detailed search revealed sophisticated concealed cavities created in the chassis of both vehicles by removing and expertly welding back sections near the rear wheels.

The officers recovered 15.18 kg of gold bars valued at around Rs 23.30 crore from the vehicles. Four persons travelling in connection with the vehicles were arrested. Preliminary intelligence indicated that the gold had been smuggled from Myanmar, the DRI said.

In another operation on September 16, officers intercepted a passenger at Jewar Toll Plaza who was travelling by bus from Gorakhpur to Delhi. A personal search led to the recovery of 5.8 kg of foreign-origin gold, comprising five one-kg bars and around 800 grams of cut pieces.

The gold was concealed in a specially designed cotton waist belt worn by the passenger. He was arrested under the Customs Act. Preliminary investigation indicated that the gold had been handed over to him in Kathmandu and brought into India through the India-Nepal land border.

The latest seizures come amid an intensified crackdown by the DRI on organised gold-smuggling networks.

Over the last three weeks, DRI officers have seized around 123 kg of gold and 10 kg of silver, collectively valued at more than Rs 187 crore, in various operations across the country. A total of 58 persons have been arrested for alleged gold smuggling during this period.

The agency said the operations underscore its continued focus on disrupting organised smuggling networks and detecting increasingly sophisticated methods used to conceal precious metals.