NEW DELHI: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started its investigation in cases of gold theft from customs vault at capital’s Indira Gandhi International airport.
On Monday, CBI registered four FIRs.
According to a senior CBI officials, cases has been registered under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust besides provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, against unknown persons but soon CBI will ask officials of custom department to join investigation as the agency is suspecting role of insiders in the cases.
“CBI received complaint from the customs department claiming that during a joint stock-taking exercise with DRI and CBI teams the gold was removed and replaced with non- precious metals in 10 packets,” an official said.
The sources said a total of 8.5 kg of precious metal was allegedly found missing from the customs vault. Authorities ordered the CBI probe after it surfaced that gold seized from smugglers mysteriously disappeared from customs vaults at the IGI Airport. There have been many cases of gold, both in form of bullion and jewellery, going missing in the last over four years from the customs warehouse. In all these cases, it was replaced with non-precious yellow-coloured metal, official sources said.
According to the sources, as the pilferage continued, the Finance Ministry decided to recommend a CBI probe following approval of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the sources said. The vigilance wing of the Finance Ministry is also looking into the suspected role of customs officials.