BHUBANESWAR: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two persons and seized smuggled gold worth over Rs 2.89 crore from them on Saturday.
Acting on a tip-off, the agency’s officers nabbed the duo when they were travelling from Kolkata to Hyderabad in a bus. The DRI, however, did not reveal the identity of the persons or the spot from where they were apprehended.
“The duo had concealed the foreign-origin gold biscuits weighing 3.982 kg in their waistbands. They were arrested under the Customs Act and further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the accused are carriers or buyers,” the DRI said.
Sources said when gold bars are brought to the country, an import duty must be paid. Only banks and other nominated agencies are permitted to import the bullion bars. The DRI suspects that the gold was possibly smuggled into the country from Myanmar or Bangladesh. The agency is also trying to ascertain if the accused are part of an international gold smuggling racket.
Earlier in March, the DRI had arrested two persons and seized foreign-origin gold biscuits worth over Rs 6.44 crore from them. The duo was nabbed when they were travelling from Kolkata in an SUV. DRI officials stopped their SUV near Manguli toll gate in Cuttack and recovered the gold biscuits weighing 9.18 kg from the accused.