DRI arrests man for smuggling foreign origin gold bars

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Thursday said that its Indore Zonal Unit has arrested a person in Raipur, Chhattisgarh for smuggling gold. The DRI said 3.33 kg foreign origin gold worth Rs 1.65 crore was recovered from him.

The DRI team had got a tip off about smuggling of foreign-origin gold. They formed a team of elite officials to look into the matter.

The DRI team got the specific input that the accused was travelling in train from Kolkata to Nagpur. The team also learnt that the man was carrying foreign-origin gold.

The team laid a trap at Raipur Railway Station. They also informed Railway Protection Force about the same and both the agencies jointly apprehended the accused. The team frisked him and his belongings were checked.

The officials found that the man had worn a cloth belt around his waist in which he was carrying gold bars. The belt was removed and the gold bars were recovered from him.

The man was asked about the gold bars he was carrying to which he couldn’t give any satisfactory answer. He was then interrogated by the team.

During the interrogation, the accused told the DRI officials that he had been running smuggling racket along with his five aides. They had been smuggling gold bars for quite a long time.

Most of the payments they would receive through Hawala channel before and after delivering the gold.

Further probe in the matter is underway.

–IANS

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