Based on specific intelligence on the whereabouts of gold smuggled from Africa through Mumbai International Airport, a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) team searched a melting facility in South Mumbai’s famous Zhaveri Bazar and seized 9.31 Kg of gold in various forms including foreign-origin gold and 16.66 Kg of silver on April 22. The officers of DRI MZU also apprehended the melting facility operator and a recruiter (a key member of the syndicate) who arranged for carriers and collected the smuggled gold for onward processing.
The officials were informed that gold smuggled from Africa through Mumbai International Airport was being processed at a melting facility in Zhaveri Bazar to remove the foreign markings before being diverted to the local market.
On enquiry, it was revealed that the recruiter collects gold from many carriers from various African Nationals, gets it processed and hands it over to a buyer located nearby.
A follow-up search was conducted at the office premises of the recruiter and USD 190000 was recovered which was given to him by the buyer as an advance payment for smuggled gold. Simultaneously, another team was dispatched to the office premises of the buyer for a search. However, the buyer had fled before the officers arrived. During the search, 351 grams of cut pieces of foreign-origin gold bars and 1818 grams of silver along with Rs. 1.92 Crores of cash were recovered and seized.
On further enquiry, it was revealed that the African Nationals from whom the recruiter had collected the gold were staying in 2 nearby hotels of Zahaveri Bazar.
Therefore, two teams were dispatched and the two African Nationals who smuggled the gold and handed it over to the recruiter were intercepted. All 4 persons vis-a-vis the 2 carriers, the recruiter and the melter admitted to being involved in the smuggling of gold into India and, hence, were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and remanded to judicial custody.
In this operation, DRI seized 9.67 Kg smuggled gold, 18.48 Kg silver, Indian currency of Rs. 1.92 Cr and USD 190000, all worth Rs 10.48 Crore.
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