Crime Hyderabad

DRI Busts Gold smuggling racket worth Rs.4.3 crores in Choutuppal

Choutuppal Gold Smuggling

Choutuppal: The Sleuths of Directorate of Revenue intelligence(DRI) busted a gold smuggling racket and seized around 6 kgs of gold bars being smuggled. The worth of gold is pegged at Rs 4.3 crores by the officials. With the ongoing elections and Mode Code of Conduct in place for the upcoming Lok Sabha General Elections, 2024 all the law enforcement agencies in the country stepped up their strict vigil.

Going into the details, the DRI officials intercepted a SUV bound from Kolkata after they got a previous tip off from a source. And, when checking the vehicle, while the officials could not see anything in the regular spaces of the vehicle, to their surprise they unearthed gold smuggled in a secret cavity inside the vehicle. This move was made by the smugglers to evade the law enforcement officials’ gaze, however, the officials caught it at the end.

“Working on intelligence developed regarding movement of smuggled gold on the roads, DRI officials tracked a vehicle traveling on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad highway. The vehicle, a SUV car bound from Kolkata and with four occupants, was stopped by the officers at Panthangi Toll Plaza, Lingoji Guda, Choutuppal, Telangana on Thursday” said DRI in an official statement released on Friday.

35 cut pieces of smuggled gold bars found

Further DRI added that “When questioned the occupants and searched of the vehicle resulted in identification of 35 thirty five cut pieces of smuggled gold bars/pieces weighing 5.964 kg and valued at Rs. 4.31 cr. “The contraband was ingeniously concealed in a secret cavity inside the vehicle,” said DRI officials.

DRI officials seized the gold along with the vehicle and the four occupants of the car were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and further investigation is underway.

DRI is a premier Indian intelligence agency that deals exclusively with anti smuggling intelligence, investigation and operations agencies.