NEW DELHI: A CBI team investigating the case of gold going missing from the vaults of the customs and excise office in Trichy has made a sensational discovery. A CBI source told TOI that during inspection the team found that at least 30kg of gold bars kept in three gunny bags were fake. Bars of some other metal are believed to have been stuffed into the bags along with gold bars.
Investigators believe that customs staff handling gold may have stolen the bars and replaced them with imitation gold. The team, which had been camping in Trichy, has left for Chennai to test the gold bars, the source said.
A senior official attached to the customs and central excise department said: “A CBI team of 16 members from Chennai, headed by DSP Kannan, was carrying out the probe when they discovered that some of the gold bars in three gunny bags were fake.” Several officials are believed to have been grilled by the CBI in connection with the case.