The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday said it has seized nearly 20 kilograms of gold, smuggled into India from Myanmar and worth Rs 6.73 crore, from Howrah district near here.
Specific information was received by the DRI that a syndicate is actively engaged in smuggling a huge quantity of foreign-origin gold from Myanmar into India through the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur and sending it to West Bengal.
"Accordingly, the DRI sleuths laid out an elaborate plan and in a skilfully executed operation successfully identified the carrier. The officers then intercepted the carrier as he was about to hand over the gold to the receiver on Tuesday," the statement said.
A search of the persons and a residential flat resulted in the recovery and seizure of 120 biscuits of foreign-origin gold, weighing 19.92 kg and valued at Rs 6.73 crore. It was concealed in sandals, bags and mattresses, it said.
With this seizure, in the current financial year the DRI has seized about 415 kg of gold valued close to Rs 130 crore from the region spread over West Bengal and the northeastern states.
The seized gold is believed to be smuggled from India's land borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and China.
--IANS
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