Mumbai, 7 March 2024

 

On the basis of a specific intelligence that a syndicate is engaged in smuggling gold and selling in the grey market, a premises used for sale/purchase of smuggled gold, was searched on 05.03.2024 and 10.7 kg of smuggled gold of foreign origin, mainly in the form of bars, along with cash of Rs. 1.8 Crores which are sale proceeds of the smuggled gold, were seized. 

During the search, officers identified and intercepted 2 members of the syndicate and a search was carried out at the residence of one of these members who was a handler for the syndicate. During the search at his residence, smuggled gold  weighing 3.77 kg was recovered and seized. 

Based on further information, a search team was deployed to the residence of the masterminds of the syndicate on 05.03.2024. Upon seeing the search team, the mastermind managed to throw away incriminating things from his 14th floor residence. Currency to the tune of Rs. 60 Laksh was recovered from the said premises. 

During interrogation, the mastermind revealed that he threw his phones and 2 foreign-origin gold bars. After nearly 15 hours of search and follow-up, 3 mobile phones and 2 foreign origin gold bars of 1 Kg each, belonging to the mastermind, were recovered from two residents of the 2 housing societies (who managed to find them by chance in the intervening night and kept for themselves) adjacent to the mastermind's housing society on 06.03.2024. 

On further information that the mastermind's wife is also an active member of the syndicate and is attempting to flee in a car, a team was deployed to intercept her in the early morning of 06.03.2024. After nearly 6 hours of pursuit, she was intercepted. During interrogation, she revealed that she had managed to get a safe (containing silver and cash which are sale proceeds of smuggled gold) moved from her farmhouse to her associate's house in the intervening night.  A further search was conducted at her associate's house wherein 6 kg silver and Rs. 25 lakhs cash were recovered.

In total, 16.47 kgs of smuggled gold valued at Rs. 10.48 crores, sale proceeds of smuggled gold viz. 6 kgs of silver and Rs. 2.65 crores cash were seized and 6 persons including the masterminds of the syndicate were arrested.

Further investigation is underway.

 

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(Source: DRI) | PIB Mumbai | NJ/DR

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