Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 8 (HBTV): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Mumbai on Sunday busted a gold smuggling syndicate at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport and seized 3.2 kg of foreign-origin gold in wax form valued at approximately INR 5 crore.
According to a release, the DRI arrested seven persons, including three Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals acting as carriers, three airport staff members who received and attempted to deliver the gold, and one recipient in Mumbai.
The DRI acted on specific intelligence indicating that certain airport staff were involved in collecting smuggled gold from Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals arriving from Bangkok and transiting through Mumbai. The gold was allegedly being illicitly removed from the airport premises and delivered to local handlers.
Officials intercepted the three airport staff members — two bus or coach drivers and one coach monitor — while they were handling and delivering the gold outside the airport to the intended recipient.
Swift follow-up action led to the identification and interception of three transit passengers, including one Bangladeshi national and two Sri Lankan nationals, who were allegedly working for the syndicate and attempting to leave the country on connecting flights. Investigators found that they had smuggled the gold into India by concealing it inside their bodies.
(ANI)