VIJAYAWADA: Sleuths of the Customs Commissionerate (Preventative) - Vijayawada arrested four people and seized smuggled gold worth Rs 6.7 crore and Rs 4.24 crore unaccounted cash. In an official statement, Commissioner K Engineer said that they received reliable information regarding some people smuggling gold from other countries and bringing it into the State.
“Following this, 100 officials in 20 teams conducted searches across the State and intercepted a number of vehicles in Nellore, Eluru, Kakinada, Sullurupeta, and Chilakaluripeta to detain people involved in the network,” the statement read.
One person was nabbed from an APSRTC bus at Sullurpeta toll plaza and a total of five kg gold were recovered from his possession. In the entire operation, the Customs officials have seized 13.2 kg gold valued at Rs 6.7 crore. Unaccounted cash of Rs 4.24 crore, suspected to be the proceeds of smuggled gold, was also recovered.
The accused have been booked under the Customs Act 1962. According to the statement, the Economic Offences Court in Visakhapatnam remanded the accused to judicial custody on Thursday.