DRI seizes 10kgs gold worth Rs. 3.18cr smuggled from Bhutan
(Sourced from PTI)
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 10kgs of gold, which was smuggled into India from Bhutan, in West Bengal's Siliguri. DRI officials intercepted a car at Siliguri's Fulbari yesterday and arrested two persons, a statement said. The total seizure value has arrived at Rs. 3.18 crore. The officials recovered ten foreign origin gold bars of one kilogram each from them, DRI said.
The interception took place when the smuggled gold bars were being carried by the duo from Bhutan to Muzaffarpur in Bihar, the DRI said. Interrogation of the two intercepted persons revealed that they had smuggled the gold bars of foreign origin from Bhutan into India through the Jaigaon-Phuentsholling border, it said. Both the apprehended persons have been arrested.
The recovered gold bars were handed over by some Bhutanese nationals to the accused at a hotel situated in Phuentsholling, Bhutan, where the same had been concealed stealthily in the carrier vehicle and was supposed to be delivered further downstream in India to others. On June 1, DRI near Siliguri effected a seizure of 32kgs of gold smuggled from China through Nathula border.
In FY 2017-18, DRI seized nearly 430kgs of gold/gold jewelry in the East and North-East region collectively valued at over Rs. 110cr. In the current financial year, in the region spread over West Bengal and the North-eastern states, DRI has seized over 152kgs of gold/gold jewelry valued at close to Rs. 50cr in the market, smuggled from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, and even from China.
