PATNA: In a part of a major nationwide crackdown against organised gold smuggling syndicate, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) along with Customs sleuths arrested three persons and seized 35 gold biscuits worth at least of Rs 2.86 crore after intercepting a car which they were travelling near Maithi toll plaza in Muzaffarpur district.
The overall weight of biscuits was 5.85 kilograms.
The interception had taken place on Sunday morning but it was disclosed only after DRI sleuths interrogated the arrested trio for several hours and got them forwarded to judicial custody after production before a Muzaffarpur court on Monday.
Sources said simultaneous raids were carried out by DRI teams in Delhi leading to recovery of around smuggled 5.5 kilograms pure gold biscuits and in Bhopal too where huge cash and its transaction evidence were found which were made from selling smuggled gold.
In the Muzaffarpur case, sources said the biscuits were of 24 carat pure gold and were recovered from a hidden cavity specially created beneath the battery casing in car’s engine.
Sources said arrested persons had pasted "PRESS" insignia on the car, bearing Assam’s registration number, in order to avoid any suspicion.
They said that the biscuits seized in Muzaffarpur are suspected to be of Myanmar origin as they were engraved with symbols used in the Myanmar bullion market.
"They are 100% pure gold. The action in Delhi and Bhopal was against the same syndicate which was involved in Muzaffarpur smuggling," a source said.
"The consignment intercepted in Muzaffarpur was smuggled inside Indian territory from Moreh (Manipur) which shares international border with Myanmar. The arrested trio had picked up the consignment from Guwahati, Assam. It was to be delivered in Varanasi," he said.
He said the entire consignment was to be used in the bullion market in Varanasi and some parts were to be smuggled further to different locations.
"Follow up action is going on in Varanasi. Developments can’t be disclosed at present. Names of the arrested trio are being withheld for security concerns. They have smuggled gold on multiple occasions in the past too," another source said.
