Gold worth ₹1,473 cr smuggled via UAE, high court told

MUMBAI:The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has informed the Bombay high court (HC) that a gang led by Nisar P Aliyar smuggled at least 4,522 kg of gold, worth ₹1,473 crore, into India from United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the past three years.

On Monday, the DRI filed an affidavit in response to a petition filed by one Mayank Dhakad, who claimed his father Arvind Kumar had been illegally arrested by the DRI.

Kumar was arrested by the DRI on August 27, in connection with a case concerning gold smuggler Aliyar.

Dhakad’s petition alleged DRI officials had not informed Kumar of the grounds of arrest and also failed to adhere to the procedural safeguards contained in the Criminal Procedure Code.

On August 29, the HC ordered Kumar’s release from Arthur Road Jail after noting he had been arrested on the presumption that he was aware of the surreptitious activities of his other son, Happy Dhakad, another suspect who was allegedly in contact with Aliyar.

However, the DRI disputed Dhakad’s claim in its affidavit. The agency said that between January 2017 to March 2019, Aliyar’s gang had smuggled at least 4,522 kg of gold from the UAE to India.

They would camouflage the gold by moulding it into rods or discs, which would be coloured to look like brass scrap. A tax of 15.5% is levied upon legally imported gold.

In March and April this year, the DRI seized around 170kg of gold discs that were made to look like brass scrap and brought to India through Mundra Port.