The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a smuggling racket and seized 26 kg gold worth Rs 7.54 crore from a man arrested at the New Delhi Railway Station, a senior DRI official said on Friday.
The gold is suspected to have been smuggled in through the India-Nepal border, he said.
The 33-year-old accused, identified as Yusuf Khan, a resident of Daryaganj in Central Delhi, was intercepted by DRI officials at the station on Thursday, said the official, requesting anonymity.
DRI officials present at the station found his movements suspicious and stopped him.
“When we searched him, we found some Indian and foreign currency notes and some documents. He was carrying a black bag. After we opened the bag, we found many gold bars and seized the bag. We took him in custody. On interrogation, he confessed to have smuggled gold but was not divulging anything else,” said the official.
The accused had arrived at New Delhi Railway station Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express with a woman associate identified as Shehnaz Parveen but on search nothing incriminating could be found in her possession. The woman has been detained and is being questioned to get further leads.
Intelligence inputs were received about the accused and after he descended from the train, he along with the woman associate were about to leave the station.
On examination of the gold it was weighing 25.792 Kg amounting to Rs 7,29,13,985. Statement of the accused was recorded under section 108 of the Customs Act.
The DRI suspected the involvement of several other people in the smuggling ring. More arrests are expected. A Delhi Court on Friday sent the accused to 14 days Judicial Custody.
Meanwhile, on Monday, two persons were arrested by customs for carrying 16 gold bars.
“ On detailed examination of their hand baggage and personal search, 16 gold bars 10 tola each and a big cut piece of gold bar and a small cut piece of gold bar having total weight 2845 gms having total market value Rs 79,02,556 were recovered from them,” said Anubha Sinha, Joint Commissioner of Customs, Indira Gandhi International Airport.
“ While keeping surveillance on the passengers coming from Abu Dhabi, two passengers having Indian Passport were intercepted by the customs officer, after they had crossed the green channel near the exit gate of the arrival hall of Terminal 3 of IGIA,” said Sinha.