Smuggled gold seized from Kolkata-bound train, two held

Kolkata: Two passengers have been arrested with foreign origin gold biscuits travelling in an express train coming to the city from Assam, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said on Sunday.

Based on the intelligence information, the DRI sleuths raided the Silchar-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express on Saturday and seized gold biscuits weighing 8.3 kg and valued at Rs 2.57 crore, a release issued by the agency said.

"Both the arrested persons are residents of Mizoram. They have been arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and are being remanded to judicial custody," the release said.

According to the sleuths, the smuggled gold biscuits were wrapped in adhesive tapes and were concealed in shoes worn by the apprehended persons.

The DRI said the gold biscuits were smuggled into India from Myanmar through the border in Mizoram and the accused were travelling to Kolkata for further delivery of smuggled gold.

It is DRI's third seizure in July, following the seizure of 20 kg of smuggled gold brought in from Myanmar and Bhutan in two separate cases to Siliguri.

The DRI seized close to 430 kg of gold and gold jewellery valued at around Rs 110 crore from east and northeast India in 2017-18.