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DRI strikes gold at MIA and M’luru Junction railway station

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Mangaluru: In a major haul involving two separate incidents, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Mangalore seized about 4 Kgs of gold valued at more than Rs 1 crore at the Mangalore International Airport and Mangaluru Junction Railway Station on Feb 10.

In the first case, a couple hailing from Kasargod was arrested for trying to smuggle 2.13 Kg of gold concealed in a specially made abdominal belt worn by them under their clothes whereas, in another incident two passengers, who had smuggled gold from Nepal and were travelling in a train towards Kozhikode, Kerala, were nabbed with 16 gold biscuits concealed in the inner pockets of their pants.

In the first case, acting on credible intelligence that two international passengers by the name Hassan and Sameera of Kasargod, Kerala arriving by Spicejet Flight No. SG-60 from Dubai to Mangaluru at around 08.40 hrs on Feb 10 would attempt to smuggle gold into the country, the officers of DRI, Regional Unit, Mangaluru, mounted surveillance at the Mangalore International Airport. On arrival of the aircraft from Dubai, the said passengers were identified and intercepted at the Customs Green Channel and were escorted to the Customs Arrival area and subjected to thorough checking.

During their body check, it was revealed that both were carrying skin coloured Belts tied to their waist. The belts were found to be concealed with some heavy object and on opening them it was found that certain brown coloured rubber like compound was stuffed inside. The compound was examined by an expert jeweller and subsequently it was taken to a gold testing extraction centre and then under the supervision of DRI officers and independent witnesses, the gold extraction was carried out.

At the end, gold of 23.99 carat purity weighing 2,137.04 gms was extracted from the said compound. Their current market value was placed at around Rs 66 lakhs. The contraband gold was later seized by the officers of DRI under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Both the passengers, who happened to be husband and wife, were arrested and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangaluru and were later released on conditional bail.

In another incident, based on a tip off, two passengers travelling from Panvel to Kozhikode in the Marusagar Express, were caught at the Mangaluru Juction Railway station. During their personal examination, the officers found some heavy objects around waist band of their trousers. On cutting open the inside stitch of the waist band, 16 gold bars (8 gold bars each) were recovered.

Both the passengers, Moideen and Samsudheen admitted that the 16 gold bars recovered from their possession were of foreign origin and were smuggled by them during their international travel from Dubai to Kathmandu, Nepal, a couple of days back. During the interrogation they further stated that after getting cleared from the Kathmandu International Airport they crossed the land border at Birganj and entered India.

Subsequently, they performed several cut journeys by road as well as train and on Feb 10, they both boarded the Marusagar Express (No. 12978) at Panvel and were on their way to Kozhikode, Kerala when they were nabbed at the Mangaluru Junction Railway Station. The DRI officers seized 16 gold bars of foreign origin weighing a total of 1,865.600 gms valued at Rs. 56,33,880 under Mahazar dated Feb 10.

Both the passengers were arrested and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangaluru on Feb 11. Further investigations are under way in both the cases.

DRI strikes gold at MIA and M'luru Junction railway station

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