10 kg of smuggled gold held in 2 instances in Manipur
Gold biscuits weighing nearly 10 kg were seized by the customs department and Assam Rifles from alleged smugglers in Manipur in two separate incidents, officials said on Tuesday.
In the first incident, customs and anti-smuggling officials seized 40 gold biscuits of “foreign origin” weighing 6.64 kg at Khudengthabi, around 100 km south of Imphal along the busy Imphal-Moreh highway on Monday.
According to assistant commissioner (Imphal Customs) RK Darendrajit Singh, the smuggled gold worth over ₹2.05 crore was found inside a specially-built cavity of a tipper truck on the basis of a tip-off.
One Mohammed Aksar (40) of Bengoon Mayai Leikai in Mayang Imphal under Imphal West district was arrested in connection with the seizure.
In the second incident, personnel of the Assam Rifles from the Tengnoupal battalion apprehended an alleged gold smuggler along with 20 gold bars weighing 3.31 kg at Khudengthabi along Imphal-Moreh sector of NH 102 on Monday evening.
The gold, valued around ₹1 crore was found during routine check of a van.
“While frisking the driver and carrying out a thorough inspection of the vehicle, 20 gold bars were found inside the fuel tank of the vehicle,” said an Assam Rifles press release.
One person named Mohammed Gayaauddin (28) of Lilong Turel Ahanbi, Thoubal district was arrested in connection with the haul. The recovered gold bars and Gayaauddin were handed over to the Directorare of Revenue Intelligence, Imphal.
“So far, the Customs division of Imphal has seized 27.5 kilograms of contraband gold worth ₹8.5 crores in 20 cases since April this year. Twenty persons were also arrested in this connection,” Darendrajit said.
A total of 137.4 kg of contraband gold worth around ₹40 crore have been seized by customs officials in the state in 2017-18 against 33.6 kg of gold worth around ₹10.3 crores in 2016-17.
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