DRI arrests four smugglers, seizes over 6 kg foreign-origin gold worth Rs 2.53 crore

Kolkata: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has recovered and seized 6.347 Kg gold of foreign origin from the city and arrested four persons in this connection. The market value of the seized gold is estimated to be Rs 2.53 crore.

Sources in the DRI informed that a unique modus operandi was adopted by a cartel of smugglers by engaging an auto-rickshaw, driven by a member of the group and using the same as a moving transit point in Salt Lake area.

The group used to lure poor local ladies of the Indo-Bangla border areas of Bongaon, by paying handsome money for carrying smuggled gold by train or bus from the border area to Salt Lake.

They then handed the gold over to the auto-rickshaw driver for taking it to Burrabazar, through another set of carriers to avoid detection by any law enforcement agency. The auto was intercepted on the basis of reliable source information.

The arrested persons include the auto driver Raj Kumar Sardar alias Raju and three lady passengers who introduced themselves as Rakhi Biswas, Namita Biswas and Rina Mondal.

The DRI sleuths found four rectangular paper packets wrapped with adhesive tapes and blue coloured ribbon.

After opening them, three rectangular bars were found inside each packet. A dozen yellow coloured metallic bars believed to be gold of foreign origin were recovered from the toolbox of the vehicle.

Personal search of the four apprehended persons led to the recovery of two similar yellow coloured metallic bars.