MUMBAI: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence last week unearthed a gold smuggling racket. The three member gang, currently in judicial custody claimed to have smuggled 700 kg gold worth Rs 175 crore in the past one-and-a-half years. DRI officials suspect the gold was smuggled in from Bangladesh and are investigating the matter.
Two of the arrested are carriers while the third is a businessman. The carriers Suresh Rajpurohit and Natwar Chawda, were caught while travelling in a train with smuggled gold. They were travelling from Kolkata to Mumbai carrying 12 kg of smuggled gold worth Rs 3.5 crores. Officials boarded the train at Igatpuri station and kept a discreet watch on the passengers. They were caught while alighting from the train at Igatpuri. DRI said both admitted to be carrying six gold bars of 1 kg each, in their bag packs.
Gold was concealed in a sleeveless jacket made up of canvas cloth having six pockets. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Suresh Rajpurohit and Natwar Sinhchawda told officials that they were working for one Mithesh Jain owner of Hidant Creations, Zaveri Bazar, Mumbai. Mithesh Jain was summoned to DRI office and statements of all three were recorded. Both the carriers have admitted to having travelled around 40 times to Kolkatta in similar fashion and each time carrying 7-8 Kgs gold bars of one kg each which they had been handing over to Mithesh Jain. Mithesh Jain admitted the above facts and also admitted to having received around 700 kg of foreign marked gold bars brought from Kolkatta in the last one and half year.
