MANGALURU: Sleuths attached to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), a regional unit of Mangaluru, bust a gold smuggling racket and in separate incidents seized four kgs of gold valued more than Rs one crore in the market at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) and Mangaluru Junction Railway station on Saturday.
A press release from DRI Deputy Director Vinayak Bhat stated that a couple hailing from Kasargod were found smuggling 2.13 kg of gold concealed in a custom-made abdominal belt.The arrested couple were identified as Hassan and Sameera from Kasargod district in Kerala.DRI sleuths tipped about smuggling racket arrested the couple on their arrival at MIA by Spicejet Flight (No SG 60) from Dubai. During a routine inspection, it was found that both were wearing skin coloured belts tied to their waist.
The belts were found to conceal a heavy object. On opening them a brown coloured rubberlike compound was found stuffed inside the belt. In the presence of expert jewellers, DRI officers the gold weighing around 2.13 kg was extracted. The contraband gold was later seized by DRI sleuths under the provisions of Customs Act, 1962. The husband and wife were arrested.