HYDERABAD: In a first, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Hyderabad unit busted an international gold smuggling racket and seized gold in the form of paste from an air passenger at the RGI airport here on Saturday. This is the first such case by DRI, where gold was seized in a paste form. The seized quantity around 1.8 kg, came down to 1.12 kg after purification, said DRI.
Based on specific intelligence, DRI sleuths intercepted an air passenger, who arrived by Spicejet flight from Madurai to Hyderabad in the early hours of Saturday. On examination, he was found carrying two packages in his hand luggage containing paste weighing 1,850 grams.
On further examination it turned out to be having gold content of 1,120.78 grams valued at more than `34.57 lakh.
Inquiries revealed that the gold, smuggled to Hyderabad, from Colombo via Madurai, could have been actually smuggled from Dubai to Colombo, to dodge the investigating agencies, where the carrier could have concealed it in his undergarments while boarding the flight. Though the passenger did not reveal the place where the gold paste was placed in the aircraft before he collected it, sleuths found that the smuggled gold was to be delivered at Chennai. However, more details about his travel plans to Chennai were not revealed.
After a thorough inquiry, the passenger admitted that the gold was smuggled into the country and he did not have any documents to prove the purchase or import of the said gold. The extracted gold has been seized, said ADG DRI MK Singh in a release.
Though earlier, RGIA at Shamshabad had witnessed different types of gold smuggling, this is the first time that gold in the form of paste was seized at Hyderabad airport. Officials say this modus operandi is adapted by smuggling gangs, as it is very difficult to detect them even through a body scanner.
Gold smuggled from Madurai
Inquiries revealed that the gold, smuggled, from Colombo via Madurai, could have been actually smuggled from Dubai to Colombo.