New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 24.4 kg gold allegedly smuggled from Bangladesh in Operation Eastern Gateway, an official statement said on Monday.
In the operation, various teams of DRI were strategically placed at different locations in the states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura including at Indo-Bangladesh border so that the modus operandi used by the smuggling syndicate could be unearthed.
On the basis of intelligence inputs, 8 persons of the syndicate were identified and in a simultaneous and well-coordinated operation at three locations all the 8 persons were apprehended red-handed, the statement said.
The team at Siliguri apprehended four persons, while they were travelling in a train from Badarpur Junction in Assam to Sealdah, at Dalkhola Railway Station in West Bengal and recovered 90 gold strips from their possession, collectively weighing 18.66 kg, valued at Rs 10.66 crores.
The strips were hidden in specially-tailored waist belts worn by each of them.
Simultaneously, the team at Agartala apprehended one person who was driving a four-wheeler near Indo-Bangladesh border near Agartala and found two gold bars weighing 2.25 kg, valued at Rs 1.30 crore, clandestinely concealed in a special cavity built under the driver side front door.
Yet another team of DRI at Karimganj in Assam apprehended three persons while they were travelling in a train from Agartala to Sealdah and seized eight bars of gold weighing 3.50 kg valued at Rs 2.03 crore, from their possession, the statement said.
