Gold smuggled from Bhutan seized by DRI

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence ( DRI) has seized around 20 kgs gold in two separate operations in the national capital.

In an operation, DRI sleuths intercepted two passengers, who had arrived in the national capital by train from West Bengal, and seized 10 kgs of foreign marked smuggled gold having a market value of ` 3.13 crore from them. The gold had been smuggled into India from Bhutan and was being transported to Delhi.

In another operation, DRI officials intercepted three passengers arriving by train from West Bengal and seized 10.2 kgs of foreign marked smuggled gold having a market value of ` 3.26 crores from them. The gold was concealed in specially designed cloth belts worn by the passengers, sources said adding the modus operandi was similar in both the cases. “In one instance, two gold bars weighing 1 kg each were concealed in the shoes of one of the passengers”, sources said.

The seized gold had been smuggled into India via the land border with neighbouring countries and was being transported to Delhi for sale during the ongoing festive season, sources in the DRI said. All five passengers are Bhutanese nationals and have been arrested. There has been a spurt in the number of seizures by DRI of gold being smuggled into India from China, Myanmar and Bhutan via the land border, they added. Such smuggling of gold into India is expected to peak during the festive season due to increased domestic demand.